will have you believe he’s a mega talented superstar whose early years of fame were plagued by misunderstandings and the pitfalls of being one of the biggest pop stars on the planet before the age of 18.
Related: “Purpose”‘s lead single “What Do You Mean” is actually pretty good
Thatap mostly true, but the greater sum is that his music has lacked the focus necessary to cross over to so-called “mature” audiences. With his new release, “Purpose,” Bieber has found his stride and grown his fan base to include more than screaming teens with a love for his frosted tipped hair. The songs are impeccably written and tightly produced.
The deluxe edition of the album is a hefty twenty-songs deep and includes features from rap stars like Big Sean and Travi$ Scott. This is Bieber successfully vying to prove he can be taken seriously in such a culture-centric genre like hip-hop. But he’s just as quick to burrow down the dancing rabbit hole, like on the Skrillex and Diplo-assisted “Where Are You Now.”
Related: Where Bieber ranks on our most anticipated pop albums of 2015.
To be sure, there are a few contrived moments on “Purpose.” “Life is Worth Living” has Bieber coming across as a Chris Brown sound-alike. Meanwhile, “We Are” features Nas, which is almost too unreal to be true. Nas has never been too great at choosing the best production for his voice and “We Are” is no exception. Bieber tends to mimic the melodies of Beyonce here, probably in an attempt to channel some of her radio hit juju. Even without the blessing of the de facto Queen of Radio, “Purpose” is chock full of songs ready for the radio charts.
“Purpose” is easy listening, but not necesarrily classic. Thatap not to say Justin doesn’t have it in him–you could almost expect a timeless album from him at some point after hearing this. But right now, as he has so often reminded us, he’s just finding his place in the world.
