Where We Started (commentary) Lyrics

I think that phrase where we started just means so much
I can relate it to my marriage
I can relate it to my career
Anytime I′ve ever been down on my luck
Or feeling like things aren't going right
I can always look back into like where I began
And how much I′ve grown
And how many things have shifted in my life

I wrote this song with Ashley Gorley, Jessie Fraiser, and Jon Bellion
Who is one of my favorite artists and songwriters
He's written songs for literally everybody

Lately, he's written the last three or four Justin Bieber singles
He′s one of those people like when you get in the room with him
You′re just so in awe of his talent and his vocal ability
And the way that he can string melodies together
And it's just not how my brain works
And so it′s really fun to write with Jon and be creative with Jon

He started playing this melody and I was like
"I don't even know if I can sing that high"
I remember working on this vocal for like a really long time
And we finally finished it
And Allison Jones at the record label was like
"I feel like a female feature would be really cool on this"
And I was like, "Well, who you got in mind?"
And she was like, "I was thinking Katy Perry"
And I was like, "Wow, like really, really shooting for the stars here"

I honestly didn′t think that Katy was going to do anything with it
Much less like it
And I remember the next day, Allison said, "Katy's in"
And I was like, "This is nuts"

And she called me on the phone and I was walking in my kitchen
I remember my wife was in there and the kids were in there
I was like, "No big deal, just talking to Katy Perry about something
I′ll be done in a minute"
And it was so surreal like talking to someone who
I don't know, when I was like sixteen, seventeen years old
Like Katy's music was everybody′s anthem, everybody′s jam

And everybody's got a favorite Katy Perry song
And so when she said that she was going to sing on the song with me
I was shocked and it turned out so beautiful

One of the most incredible string arrangements I′ve heard
I remember when I got Katy's vocal back, I was blown away
I mean she′s an incredible singer
But this kind of reminded me of how amazing of a vocalist she is
And I just felt like it really came to life