Album Review: Justin Bieber - Believe

Justin Bieber
Believe
Rating: Yeah Daddy Make Me Want It

Yes, you read correctly. I am giving the Biebs album a good review. Surprised you say? Well, no more so than me. Based on his limited output so far, I was expecting another treacly tween pop record that would be completely forgettable and dismiss-able. I have to give credit to Bieber, and whoever is advising him, that they are making all the right moves for his career. His second album Believe is a transitional record, designed to move him from his tween base into a, perhaps mature is not the right word, more older skewing audience. While there are still remnants of his previous output present, most notably in the over-reliance on syrupy ballads, there is a slightly edgier leaning towards slicker R&B and EDM sounds, which points to the direction he is heading.

Like the new Usher (Bieber's role model and mentor) album, there is a broad range of styles and approaches on Believe, and also a monstrous phalanx of songwriters and producers in tow. But whereas Usher's album, while good, seemed too scattershot and tossed together, Believe is surprisingly consistent, positioning Bieber as the heir to Justin Timberlake's throne. In fact, it often reminds me of Timberlake's first solo record, which had about the same amount of success to failure ratio, but made a statement that Timberlake was not going to be limited by his former boy band credentials.

Obviously for me, Believe works best when the album goes off the grid a bit. Tracks like "As Long As You Love Me," with its buzzing synths, slippery drum programming, and interplay of multitracked vocals, show a maturity that has not been evident so far.



"Take You" merges lovely acoustic guitars with stutter-step beats, dubstep flourishes, and a husky vocal turn from Bieber.



The R&B duet with Drake "Right Here" combines their two distinct styles perfectly.



Especially on the three deluxe edition bonus tracks, Bieber really allows his producers to run with it, and thankfully, Bieber appears up to the challenge, showing more confidence and that he is comfortable being a little more edgy. "Out Of Town Girl," is a slamming R&B track with lots of bizarre electronic textures pushing against the grain of the song.



"She Doesn't Like The Lights" addresses live in the spotlight with Bieber, turning the flash and whirr of cameras into a percussive instrument.



While "Maria" touches on the paternity drama Bieber faced, turning the event into a modern day updating of Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean."



The rest of Believe jumps back and forth between uptempo pop songs like first single "Boyfriend" and "All Around The World," which shows a debt to current Euro-dance trends, high profile collaborations like "Beauty and a Beat" with Nicki Minaj, and an unfortunate plethora of sugary-sweet ballads ("Catching Feelings," "Be Alright," "Believe"). But overall, the album slides by smoothly and slickly, with these ballads providing momentary speed bumps.

Believe is not going to be the second coming. I am sure it will sell like hotcakes and rule the top of the charts for the rest of the summer. More importantly, it shows that Bieber is not a fool. He may be the butt of many a joke, but the guy knows what he is doing, or at least has the right people advising him on what to do. Believe shows a willingness and desire to move forward and not make the same songs over and over again. So yes, I am giving this album a good review. It is pretty damn good pop/R&B record. Nothing wrong with that.

Rating Scale:

Chilfos: masterpiece; coolest thing I've heard in ages.

Woof Daddy: excellent; just a hair away from being a masterpiece.

Grrrr: very good; will definitely be considered for my top releases of the year.

Yeah Daddy Make Me Want It: good; definitely invites further listens and piques one's interest for more material.

Meh: not horrible, but certainly not great; could have either been polished, trimmed, or re-thought.

Jeez Lady: what the hell happened? Just plain bad. They should hang their heads in shame and be forced to listen to Lady Gaga ad nauseam as penance.

Tragicistani: so bad, armed villagers with pitchforks and torches should run the artist out of the country for inflicting this abomination on the human race.