“It’s been a long time, a lot has happened,” Justin Bieber says at the beginning of his return to “Carpool Karaoke” on the James Corden-hosted “Late Late Show.” “I’m a married man, I’ve got a mustache.”
The pair also have an infectious chemistry that carries through their banter — which ranges from creating a TikTok dance for Bieber’s recent hit “Yummy” to a semi-serious discussion of Bieber’s comic tweet from a few months back about wanting to fight Tom Cruise. “I was just being stupid, to be honest,” Bieber said. “Not stupid, but then people were like ‘Yeah, I wanna see this happen’ and then I was like, ‘You know what? That could actually be funny.’ And I would have done it.” A comic exchange ensues in which Corden advises Bieber to work up to fighting Cruise — starting with a fight with Corden.
“I don’t think it would be much fun for you. I gotta say, if you and me have a fight, you win. I think if you and Tom Cruise have a fight, I’d back Tom every day of the week,” Corden says. Bieber replies, “Absolutely not. I’m trying not to let my ego get in the way, but there’s absolutely no way. He’s not the guy you see in movies.”
The pair also do carpool karaoke versions of “Intentions,” also from Bieber’s new album “Changes,” as well as earlier hits like “Love Yourself” (from “Purpose”) and 2009’s “One Less Lonely Girl.” The two even raced through a version of Lisa Kudrow’s “Smelly Cat” from a long-ago episode of “Friends.”