There is a cruel and undeniable fact that every college student must come to terms with: Justin Bieber is either your age or older, and he’s more successful than the vast majority of us ever will be. It was easy to predict a mere half decade ago that the Canadian pop star would crash as soon as he stopped sounding and looking like a chipmunk. About a year ago, many thought he would be done after some legal and drug troubles. However, that has not been the case.
Bieber’s second or third or even 20th phase of his career has just begun with Jack Ü’s “Where Are Ü Now?” and the new chart topper, “What Do You Mean?” A fourth Bieber album is upon us in the coming months, and he is determined to become a universal pop star for an older audience. Due to a slow period in a rather successful year, this critic has decided to investigate the Bieber of yesteryear before willfully accepting the new and improved Bieber.
“Baby” (2010) – My World 2.0 (2.3/5)
This could easily be a completely different artist from the current Bieber. The voice is completely different from the contemporary version, much more childish, like a young Michael Jackson. If you listen beyond the constant “Baby’s,” you notice a kind of cool synth part that feels very 2010. Ludacris’s verse is seemingly out of place, yet impressive to be so fluid and clean from a man with “hoes in different area codes.” Also, Drake appeared multiple times in this video and somehow his street cred has only gone up since then.
“Beauty and a Beat” (featuring Nicki Minaj) [2012] – Believer (1.6/5)
This one is probably the most painful. Everything is poorly written. The beat felt like one that producer Zedd had left over lying around. The Nicki Minaj verse, like Usher’s, felt like a swing through. I felt bad for Minaj; not only did it seem beneath her to be on this track, but then she had to get dry humped by Bieber. Intended to be found footage from a Bieber party, the video simply makes it seem like, well, a terrible party. Everyone went to a water park that Bieber rented out and instead of drinking and having a good time, they had to perform a choreographed dance for him.
“Confident” (featuring Chance The Rapper) [2013] – Journals (3.6/5)
Yes, that Chance The Rapper. Bieber finding a rapper like Chance at a hungry point at his career in late 2013 was fruitful. Chance delivers a great verse over a pretty decent beat. Bieber begins to prove himself as Usher’s successor as a singer. The video is very creepy. Essentially, Bieber stalks a girl and uses a cheesy line about Takis throughout the whole thing.
Jack Ü – “Where Are Ü Now?” (featuring Justin Bieber) – Skrillex & Diplo Present Jack Ü (4.2/5)
How about a full career turnaround? Jack Ü’s single is one of the best of the year. Unlike the generic copy cutter beats we’ve heard throughout Bieber’s career, “Where” is crafted by two master producers, Skrillex and Diplo. The sound that makes up the wordless chorus is actually Bieber’s voice filtered to abandon. The lyrics are actually memorable.
What Do You Mean? – TBA (4.0/5)
There isn’t anything particularly inventive about this song. If 2010 was the sound on his earlier songs, then 2015 might be the sound of this song. The beat is an obvious Kygo rip off as a tropical house song. Lyrically, it’s not complex either, but Bieber sings well over the beat. Like others, the video is questionable. Bieber sets up a kidnapping of his girlfriend to present her with a skateboarding party.