Forget about Justin Bieber’s high-pitched “Baby” days. His new album, “Purpose,” speaks to fans who have far outgrown the teeny-bopper phase.
“Purpose,” which was released last Friday, overshadows the artist’s immature and sometimes reckless image shown in the media. Bieber, a Canadian singer who was discovered on YouTube, released his first album when he was only 16, and the star’s young age accounted for his predominately preteen following of “Beliebers.” However, “Purpose” breaks the pattern and connects him to his 21-year-old peers.
Beiber’s last album, “Journals,” helped the singer break out of his teeny-bopper roots, with a number of seductive R&B tracks. “Journals,” however, was overlooked by the masses, as Bieber released the tracks over 10 weeks as part of “Music Mondays,” leading up the release of his theatrical film “Believe.” Bieber showed a more mature side on tracks like “All That Matters” and “Recovery” but failed to receive much critical or public acclaim.
Unlike “Journals,” his newest effort was on the public’s radar for months before its release. The album includes several upbeat tempos infused with Bieber’s altered vocals as background music — similar to The Weeknd.
“Where Are Ü Now” was the first released track of “Purpose” and is a collaboration with acclaimed beat masters Skrillex and Diplo. The song’s fast tempo and distinctive drumbeat gives the feel of a remix — partially because it is one. As noted in an interview with Time, Bieber sent his track to the artists as a slow ballad before they transformed his vocals and added an unforgettable beat that forces listeners to dance. The artists coined the term “dolphin noise” when discussing the song’s most recognizable feature: a high-pitched and incomprehensible sound that echoes throughout the track. Skrillex created the noise using Bieber’s original vocals singing “need you the most” and changing the pitch and pace until he got a sound unlike any other.
As far as other songs go, Bieber still manages to be catchy even without the help of master mixing. “Sorry” — which was released accompanying a video featuring two brightly dressed dance crews from New Zealand — “Get Used to It” and “The Feeling” are perfect to listen to before going out. “The Feeling” features singer-songwriter Halsey and speaks about young adult problems like misleading hearts and the confusion between love and lust. They sing, “Am I in love with you, or am I in love with the feeling?” Bieber takes a break from his usual falsetto voice, allowing Halsey to take center stage. The change in his tone along with the harmonies between the duo add a new dimension to the song which would have been appreciated on other tracks as well.
In a recent interview on “Ellen,” Bieber mentions songs that were inspired by his famous ex-girlfriend, Selena Gomez. Among them is the album’s first track, “Mark My Words.” The song puts forth a want to reclaim a lost love, stating, “I won’t let us just fade away, after all that we’ve been through.” The track is fairly slow, and its length becomes a source of hindrance. Being the shortest on the album, lasting two minutes and 14 seconds, “Mark My Words” begs for a pickup in pace that, sadly, never comes and leaves listeners anxious in their wait for it. Especially as the first track on the album, this song could have done better.
Refreshingly, “Love Yourself” is a predominately acoustic song that does work, despite lacking the album’s dominant use of intricate rhythms and computer-synthesized sounds. Separate recordings of the track allowed for Bieber to harmonize with himself, creating an interesting vocal effect. The simplistic qualities of “Love Yourself”” might have to do with the song’s authorship. Written by singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran — who is known for his minimalist one-man show performances — the track reflects Sheeran’s rudimentary ideals while melding perfectly with Bieber’s vocals.
Don’t disregard Bieber’s album because of his adolescent persona. “Purpose” emphasizes the singer’s admittance into adulthood and presents a more sophisticated artist, at least in terms of his music.