In the late 2000s, Justin Bieber first emerged as Usher’s baby-faced protegé peddling heart-melting teen pop with songs like “Baby” and “One Less Lonely Girl.” Over the years, though, new music by Bieber has been released at increasingly less frequent intervals as the pop star has become better known for his obnoxious tabloid behavior, including fights with paparazzi and charges of driving under the influence. However, in his latest album, Purpose, Bieber tries to simultaneously rehabilitate his public image and give us his version of a mature pop record.
Produced by big name EDM artists Diplo and Skrillex, Purpose sees Justin Bieber’s music being given a dance-pop makeover. On “What Do You Mean?”, Bieber asks for clarification from a mysterious lover over a playful house beat, evoking a slightly more bubblegum version of a track that could’ve been done by Clean Bandit or Disclosure. Meanwhile, on the single “Sorry,” Bieber pleads for forgiveness from an estranged girlfriend over a bouncey electronic track sprinkled with stabs of Italo-y keyboard. As the song begins to pick up during its chorus, however, Justin transcends his specific relationship woes to send a more far-reaching message—“Sorry” turning into a heart-felt apology to everyone the Biebs has offended or upset over the past few years. The insane amount of celebrity Justin Bieber achieved at such a young age should grant him a “Get out of jail free” card for some of his more objectionable behavior over the past couple years, and Purpose is ultimately an album about second chances. On the cover, Justin stands in silent prayer, perhaps asking for redemption for the mistakes of his past. Whether Justin has changed his ways and is truly here to stay is anyone’s guess, but for now, Purpose stands as a much-needed piece of PR and a surprisingly decent album. 3.5/5.