Here is something 14 year old, AC/DC t-shirt wearing me would have gagged at: the thought of reviewing a Justin Bieber album. After aging a whole two years, however, I assure you that I have reached total enlightenment in all aspects of life; enough at least to realize that just because an artist’s prior works were not enjoyable does not mean that they cannot ever make something worthwhile. Justin’s age and absolutely plastic bubble gum pop approach made him quite unfavorable amongst many when his music first arrived on the charts, but after arguably fading away from his days of being a pre-teen icon, Bieber is now back in full swing with his new album: Purpose.  Armed with newfound understanding and the basic ability to separate an artist from their art, I have decided to dive into this new release with optimism.

Have you ever listened to The Weekend’s Beauty Behind The Madness? If yes, then you have listened to Purpose. If no, or if you’re calling that blanket statement a load of trash, let me give you a more in depth thesis.

You can tell before you even listen to this thing that Justin is going for a darker overtone on this release. The album cover alone is in greyscale and features a bunch of odd symbols with Bieber pictured in a pensive pose. This new approach is reflected in the music, as there is a moody feel established within the first few tracks. You will soon arrive at track three, entitled: “What Do You Mean?”, which is quite a popular radio track at the moment. The song differs from older material, with a much more chill feel. It is still driven by a dance type beat, but makes for a head bob rather than a flash mob. I found myself grooving right along with it and can say it is my favorite track on the album. Dive deeper into the record, and you will begin to see why I had compare this to The Weekend’s newest release. Justin plays on the emotional pretty boy role throughout the rest of the album (save for a few religious tracks at the end), beginning with the aforementioned tune. He is quite literal with his title, as the song is about being with a flakey girl who does not really make her intentions clear. The rest of the tracks on here deal with similar romantic tensions, with lyrics about no other girls feeling right besides a certain one, asking a girl if she is in love with him or just “the feeling”, etc. He is the victim here.

Musically, the album is full of pitchshifted vocals and odd percussion atop dramatic instrumentals. There is a few tracks on here produced by Skrillex, most notably the radio single “Where Are Ü Now”. Skrillex definitely puts his touch on the songs he is on, but overall the album is riding on the Xanax fueled love drama scene of RNB that is popular right now, but that is not the worst thing in the world, as it is seeming to give Justin’s music and lyrics some new depth. 

It is worth saying though that this album amassed the least amount of notes I have taken while listening, and can easily leave you bored if you have heard similar things done before. The gospel tracks near the end are incredibly boring, seeing as they consist of one main instrument and Justin’s voice, with lyrics that have been said before in basically any Christian music.

I am definitely happy with what I heard for the most part on this album, and I am interested to see where Justin goes next in his musical career. You really only need to hear the singles though to understand what his new angle is, so just stick to that unless you are reviewing the album or something. I do not know who would do that though.

DARK ATMOSPHERE, AMBIGUOUS ROMANCE, SYNTHS, RNB VOCALS

FAVORITE TRACK WHAT DO YOU MEAN?

TRACK TO TRY: WHAT DO YOU MEAN?

LAME TRACK: LIFE IS WORTH LIVING

6+/10