Justin Bieber, Intentions | Track Review 🎵

Justin Bieber enlists Quavo for “Intentions,” his 4th advance single from his highly anticipated comeback LP, Changes.  The results are so-so.

Sigh, a new Justin Bieber album is on the horizon – Changes.  The buzz should be monumental, right? Right. Why? Well, Bieber last released an album, Purpose, in 2015.  The problem is, despite the fact that one of pop’s biggest stars is making a comeback, the quality of the singles released in advance of his new project has been sketchy.  “Yummy” certainly drew its fair share of smirks, while “Get Me” (featuring Kehlani) was respectable, but not game changing.  Certainly, Justin hopes that his fourth advance single, “Intentions,” featuring Quavo, ignites the spark.

Like the previous advance singles from Changes, it’s clear that Justin Bieber is going for an urban pop/R&B sound.  Fair enough – it suits him well enough.  The backdrop on “Intentions” certainly embodies that ‘urban’ sound, produced by Jason “Poo Bear” Boyd and The Audibles.  The sound is respectable, but nothing that Poo Bear or The Audibles deliver necessarily delivers that ‘wow factor.’ Basically, it’s ‘been there, done that.’ To quote Ariana Grande, “thank u, next”.

Focusing back on the star, vocally, Justin Bieber delivers a pleasant performance.  He never overreaches or over sings.  That said, personally, he’s just not that potent – he doesn’t pack that KO punch.  Yes, he sings sufficiently, but, there’s just something missing. Quavo doesn’t really atone for what’s missing either.  Again, we’ve ‘been there, done that.’

Final Thoughts

“Intentions” as a standalone record is meh in my opinion.  It lacks distinction.  Sure, the music video itself is drawing ample attention, but just because a song has a notable music video doesn’t make the song a certified bop.  Is “Intentions” bad? Nope.  Is it great? Absolutely not.  At best, it’s okay.  Maybe the true ‘Beliebers’ are more into his Changes than I am…

Justin Bieber • Changes • Def Jam • Release: 2.16.20

Photo Credit: Def Jam