Justin Bieber - Purpose (Album Review)

Let's not kid ourselves, Justin Bieber probably hasn't matured as much as he'd like us to think he has. I don't have any insider information...I'm just guessing. While he's out rehabbing his image he's still pretty much doing the exact same type of cruddy behavior that had people calling him out (he's walked off stage, flipped chairs at restaurants, etc...). What's probably changed for Bieber is that with all his constant work on turning his image around that he seems a lot more focused on writing some solid songs above most everything else. That was something that plagued his lackluster Journals project. It just felt like the drama overwhelmed everything around that time and it pretty much crushed everything media wise for Bieber and the project. With Purpose, Bieber is poised to leave the teen scene behind for a spot at the big kids table. Everything about Purpose is in hopes to move Bieber out of the "dark" days and back into the spotlight.

I've been hearing tons of media outlets claiming Purpose could be Bieber's Timberlake moment. I myself even wondered if it would be. I don't think Purpose is Bieber's big Timberlake moment. It doesn't quite make the statement Future Sex/Love Sounds did musically or personality wise. It could be on par in some ways with Justified. He just isn't quite there yet and honestly he has a little ways to go, but maybe not too far. He has the potential, but it's hard for me to give those coveted Timberlake passes out, at least in my mind. Purpose is an interesting look at a fusion of pop/music with EDM that I think points further to EDM moving towards more of the pop/market big single appeal.

Most of Jack Ü's debut album had tons of pop songwriting appeal mixed with EDM. It was more built for radio and early morning video TV spots on the likes of MTV, MTV2, VH1, and Fuse than it was for raves. I think Purpose is in the same boat. There are more straight pop songs and ballads on the album, but some of the more exciting moments come when the album mixes this pop/EDM style in a way that I think is pretty appealing. Bieber includes his Jack Ü collaboration on the album (which had previously been released on their album). Skrillex (one half of Jack Ü) also produced a large portion of the album as well as production by Diplo (the other half of Jack Ü). Some other notable producers involved are Benny Blanco and The Audibles. This album also features hip hop guests like rising rapper Travi$ Scott (Bieber also made an appearance on his debut album, Rodeo) and G.O.O.D Music artist Big Sean. Halsey, whose debut album Badlands also incorporated a lot of the new pop focused EDM styles Bieber is looking to make successful on this album, also makes an appearance.

So how do all these elements meld together for Bieber? I think they result in exactly what he wanted, which is a genre fluid album that is jam packed with singles and poised to get people to take him a lot more seriously than any of his previous albums. It will no doubt continue to pave the way for people to continue to ignore his recent outbursts. The music on this album is just too good to write him off. Bieber has always had a knack for finding and/or writing pop songs that appeal to his audience. The only time he wasn't as successful was with Journals. I think his refocused music mentality on Purpose accomplished what he wanted to do with the Journals project. It mainly moves him further away from the thought of the Bieber teen haircut and the hit single "Baby". Heck, even with this new album he debuted a new hairstyle that was much talked about in media appearances. In my mind it is no doubt that this change in appearance is to go with his many other efforts to move his image in a different direction. This time he just has the songs to back him up.

"Sorry" produced by Skrillex and the Blood Diamonds is the perfect example of this pop/EDM fusion working so well. The song is just as strong as, if not stronger than, the Jack Ü collaboration song "Where Are Ü Now". It is so catchy and well done that it's nearly impossible for it to not get stuck in your head. "Love Yourself" is a smooth almost John Mayer-esque song and shows off Bieber's vocal talent pretty well. Bieber shows off his vocal ability pretty nicely throughout the entire album. He definitely shows why critics often praise his vocals. He can come off as boisterous and then transition into his more introspective and earnest side depending on the song. That is something I've always thought an artist like Justin Timberlake does so well (just for comparison sake). He's able to choose music that on this album makes sure it compliments his abilities really well. The Halsey featured song, "The Feeling", may not be the best song on the album and the beat as well as the pairing may not work quite as well as I thought it would on paper, but it is still a cool song. Halsey's album has continuously grown on me since its release and I think with repeated listens this song could grow on me more. It's just slightly overshadowed by some other songs on this project.

"Life Is Worth Living" is a slower piano ballad that is one of the highlights on the album. I really enjoy it lyrically and I think Bieber gives a super solid vocal performance on the song. It's a great fall song. Title track "Purpose" is another pretty well sung piano ballad. The talking outro on the song done by Bieber came off a little cheesy and killed a little of the vibe. Lastly I wanted to discuss a few things about "What Do You Mean?". I think it pretty much perfectly encapsulates the album as a whole. It was a genius marketing decision to pick it as the first single. It has the EDM elements, the earnest "new Bieber" mentality, and it's super infectious. The lyrics get slightly repetitive, but the overall message behind the song is a good one. The chorus is an earworm. I think if you liked that song or even found it interesting then you should be really pleased with the album.

I think whether you like him or not or believe (or beliebe depending on your Bieber fandom!) he's sincere in his image makeover. Purpose might truly be the first Bieber album that anyone over the age of 18 could find some truly appealing material on. It's well crafted, well thought out, executed nicely, and I think it is the comeback record people wanted. The amount of single potential songs on this album is pretty crazy. I've never been able to really enjoy much of Bieber's music. It just didn't appeal to me. I could hear some of the talent before, but he's finally taking that talent and cashing in on it. I don't think this album is without a few blemishes and he doesn't win all across the board, but it is a huge improvement over past material. The tween/teen gimmick isn't here. Bieber is past his tween marketing era of having his face all over trapper keepers, stickers, pencils, and back packs. This is an album that is going to live or die on how good the songs are. Thankfully for listeners and for Bieber a lot of the songs are really good and more than a few are pretty great. I think this is easily one of the more intriguing and interesting pop albums of this year. I think it lives up to a lot of the hype and expectations.