No Brainer (song)

In early July, DJ Khaled shared plans for his song, inspired by his vacation to Cabo San Lucas. "I'm gonna make my own soap," he said. "So I'm here to announce today—and this is crazy that we're talking about this—I'm gonna make my own soap."^[5] He also revealed, "I got a song coming out with Justin Bieber and some more of my great friends on the record. I want it to be a surprise, but it's going to be one of the biggest anthems."^[6] In a series of teasers on Instagram, he gradually rolled out the news. In one video, Justin and his manager, Scooter Braun, joined in and showcased their southern accents. "We've always been the best and always will be the best. That's a statement and a half," Bieber teased.^[7]

Billboard's Sam Tornow described the song as a potential summer hit with its "all-star cast, bubbly beats and infectious chorus". He wrote: "The crew keeps the hype up all the way through, from Bieber's first chorus until his last. Every collaborator holds his own, accenting each other's different styles while still popping off during his own verse."^[2] Conversely, Sheldon Pearce of Pitchfork called the song "gratuitous fun that's derivative and shiftless and capitalistic".^[8]

In the United States, the song debuted at number five on the US Billboard Hot 100, making it Khaled's fourth top-ten song, Bieber's 14th, Chance the Rapper notches his second and Quavo posts his fifth top ten on the chart.^[9] The song dropped to number 11 in its second week on the chart.

In the United Kingdom, "No Brainer" debuted at number one on the Official Trending Chart following its release, with the song set to debut at number 9 of the chart regardless of any added points.^[10] In August 2018, the song opened at number four on the UK Singles Chart, where it became DJ Khaled's third and Bieber's 14th top-five single in the country.^[11] As for other countries, the song reached the top ten of the charts of Australia, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden and Ireland.

The music video premiered via YouTube an hour after the song's release. Directed by Colin Tilley, the video begins on the set of a movie in Hollywood with "We The Best" replacing the typical white Hollywood Sign. Bieber helms the director chair alongside Khaled and his son, Asahd. One part of the video is highly reminiscent of a scene from the film Wayne's World, as Khaled and Justin stand atop the faux clouds. Product placement is heavily displayed throughout the blockbuster, boasting different liquors from Bumbu to Ciroc and Belaire. Quavo injects himself into the colorful scene taking on the role of an artist, meticulously painting away at his blank canvas with a parrot mysteriously chilling out on his shoulder. Chance is the last of the co-stars to make an appearance, and the setting immediately switches to a Gatsby-themed party, as the squad dances the night away.^[12]

Credits adapted from Tidal.^[13]