Review Summary: An album that reintroduces Bieber as an airwave juggernaut while taking leaps and bounds to improve his musicianship and his image.
As a relatively young fan of music, no artist has ever irked or bothered me more than Justin Bieber. I vividly recollect first seeing his Moe Howard haircut and boy band-esque smile first come to media prominence in the latter half of the 2000s decade, and feeling immense disdain immediately. I could never wrap my head around what the media found appealing about this kid. It was just bland, middle of the road, radio-ready pop/R&B with poor execution and a gaping hole that reeked of overly flushed out production value. As the years rolled on, his image took a spill. I was the happiest camper alive to see him face an onslaught of media scrutiny, including a deportation petition that garnered enough signatures to validate a response from the White House. At this time last year, I still was in utter disgust because of Bieber, both as a musician and as a person. I had no idea my views of both iterations of the pop superstar would be doing a complete 180 after hearing his third full-length studio album,
Purpose.
Bieber's quest to rebuild himself from the ground up began in the latter portion of last summer, when chart topping single "What Do You Mean?" impacted mainstream radio. I, wanting to be as objective as possible, gave the song a spin expecting to be revolted and leaving a dislike on its YouTube lyric video. Three minutes and twenty-six seconds later, I realized I hadn't stopped the song or even had any negative thoughts about the track after the first listen. I was initially disgusted by the thought I could actually enjoy a Justin Bieber song, but as the track rocketed to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 (Bieber's first single to do so), it had appeared that one of Bieber's biggest detractors had just become a fan of his.
When the full album hit store shelves globally this past winter, I did another thing I never saw myself doing; spending my own money to buy one of Bieber's albums. The lead-off singles "What Do You Mean?", "I'll Show You" and "Sorry" had actually done enough to appease my music taste that I was willing to buy the record and delve into it in its entirety. I am most impressed by Bieber's improved musicianship, as well as his newfound undertaking to redefine his public image.
"What Do You Mean?" is arguably the most evident example of Bieber's musical growth on
Purpose, using a unique and upbeat song structure to describe the trials and tribulations of any relationship. A tired and tried brand of content that is mixed in with original and creative musicality is the bedrock for not only the album's lead off single, but the rest of the album in general. "Sorry" and "I'll Show You" see Bieber fully address his past transgressions and vow to change his ways. Aforementioned, I never thought in a million years that Bieber would actually acknowledge and own up to being a complete douchebag, but that doesn't make me any less impressed to see him actually do it. The latter tracks mentioned above do a great job of utilizing the production value that Skrillex and Diplo brought to this record, making the two songs stylistically coherent.
Smash hit single "Love Yourself" was a favorite of mine from this record, and continues to be, even after its descent from the top of the Billboard Hot 100. Ed Sheeran of "Thinking Out Loud" fame co-penned this chart topping single, and the end result is what is easily the best track on
Purpose. Even when it utilizes standard pop fare, it pulls off these conventions with enough quality execution and high production value that it can easily compete with its mainstream radio counterparts. "Company", which should be topping the same chart very soon, is another standout track on this record, taking another dead horse lyrical theme (supposedly a 'friends with benefits' matter) and churning out something fresh and cohesive. Bieber's vocal performance shines particularly brightly on "Company" and the musicality, while begging to be played at nightclubs and on office radios alike, is impressive enough that the listener will need more than a few listens before the track dulls off.
Other highlights from
Purpose include opening track "Mark My Words", which also sees Bieber in his persistent crusade to reinvent himself. "Where Are Ü Now", a track that introduces Bieber as a guest artist with Skrillex and Diplo, doesn't belong on this record in my opinion, but the rest of the album is impressive enough that I don't really mind. In summation, it only took one forty-eight, thirteen-second long full-length studio outing to turn my opinion of Justin Bieber completely upside down. From loathing him as a musician and a person to now embracing both sides of him and even calling myself a fan of his work; it's quite the transition, one I never thought I would undertake, but I am certainly not complaining. If you're anything like me, and have harbored any disdain for Justin Bieber, the album warrants itself one spin of your time. Anything otherwise warrants multiple plays. My recommendation; choose the latter.
