Justin Bieber released SWAG, his seventh studio album, on July 11, and fans still can’t stop talking about it. With 21 tracks on the album, there’s a lot of music for fans to listen to, and of course, lyrics to dissect. Justin Bieber’s song “Yukon” has been receiving lots of attention from fans in particular — and specifically, the “slide city” line. It’s gone viral on social media, even though some listeners aren’t so sure what it really means. So, what does “slide city” mean?
Bieber repeats the phrase “slide city” several times throughout the song. At one part, he sings, “You like to go slow, but we can go faster, tell me the password. Slide city, slide city, you know what that means.” In the following line, he sings “I’m coming up on you quickly, mm, I’ll bring nice things. Slide city, slide, plenty other men tryna get in the bed.” Even though Bieber is saying “you know what that means,” lots of fans aren’t sure they understand. Some listeners have weighed in, giving their interpretations of the term “slide city.”
What Does “Slide City” Mean?
Most popularly, fans are explaining that “slide city” refers to sliding through to meet someone. It’s a synonym for pulling up, coming through, or showing up to see a person. This interpretation totally makes sense, given the sexy, romantic vibe of the song.
Additionally, the lyrics could refer to Bieber wanting to move faster and go further in a relationship. The title of the song, “Yukon,” refers to a Yukon SUV, as he sings, “You used to drive a Yukon.” This builds on the imagery of “pulling up” to someone’s place. He refers to moving more quickly in the relationship multiple times, singing about “going faster” and “coming up on you quickly.” Even by saying “tell me the password,” Bieber insinuates that he is trying to speed things up, and that he is ready for progression in the relationship. With all of these lyrics taken into account, it seems likely that by saying “slide city,” Bieber means that he wants to slide through soon or show up quickly for the person he’s interested in.
Bieber himself hasn’t weighed in on what “slide city” means, but he did share a TikTok video utilizing the lyrics.
Regardless of what it means, fans are loving “Yukon” and SWAG as a whole, and are happy to keep singing “slide city” — even if some still aren’t quite sure what it means.