Justin Bieber returns will his first all-new feature length album
since 2010’s My Worlds. He’s come a long way since then and
shifted 2.3 million records in the UK in the process.
His new record, Believe, bears all the hallmarks of a seminal
album for the superstar and will prove that he is an artist that
is here to stay. Justin has collaborated with some of the biggest
names in music on Believe, working with Kanye West, Drake, Diplo,
Usher and Rodney Jerkins of DarkChild fame.
He also worked with Mike Posner on first single “Boyfriend”,
which reached number two in the UK singles chart.
BBC Review
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Marking his progression from screaming-kids-in-tow
starlet to something close to a pop god, Justin Bieber’s new
album not only finds him becoming an artist for adults on his own
terms, but showcasing impressively distinctive tones and
translating an innate charisma across many styles.
Believe is glitzier than his debut, My World(s), but Bieber
doesn’t leave his faithful audience behind in pursuit of a
broader fanbase. There are still returns to his years of tween
appeal, notably on Be Alright, Fall and the title track.
But throughout, this album presents proof that expensive-sounding
songs don’t need to be about material things, regardless of how
much Bieber wants to scream that he’s an adult now. Despite the
array of impressive guest contributors – Nicki Minaj, Drake,
Ludacris, Big Sean, Mike Posner, Diplo – Bieber’s never
overshadowed. He has grown into this role to such an extent that
the "featuring" turns never steal his spotlight.
He’s aware that he’s still three years too young to get into the
clubs where his beats belong; lyrically, his focus on love and
faith is both explicit and suitably open – and, admirably, never
puerile. Stepping back briefly, he’s simply being the teen star
that he still is. The unshowiness of Bieber’s lyrics is played
up, and his confidence, for the most part, played down.
It’s fine that his vocal simpers on the verses of As Long As You
Love Me, because the song’s pulsating undercurrent propels it
onto the dancefloor. And this is exactly why comparisons with
Justin Timberlake’s showy dreamboat persona are misleading.
Believe presents Bieber as an 18-year-old in love, rather than
desperate for an audience to adore him.
The way he gets introspective on the Babyface-produced Catching
Feelings is a rare delight: it sees him caught up in a daydream,
like Robin Thicke for a younger generation. And other highlights
are plentiful: Die in Your Arms’ Michael Jackson sample is worth
every penny, while One Love’s space-age synths, watered down DnB
beat and defiant lack of fluff make it a total mega-hit.
Believe doesn’t take as many risks as it might (those are saved
for bonus tracks), but it’s not meant to be a big and bold
collection. It’s simply, elegantly, propelling Bieber into the
next chapter of his career. And for an album whose s are so
remarkably graceful, Believe exceeds all expectations.
--Ian Roullier
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