Justin Bieber, Justice | Album Review 💿

Justice is a respectable, at times, enjoyable pop album from Justin Bieber. Still, the LP could use more excitement and personality.

It took nearly five years for a new 🎙 Justin Bieber the last time out. 💿 Changes was definitely a long time coming.  While the album performed well, it also left more to be desired from the 🏆 Grammy-winning pop artist.  Even so, the universally panned 🎵 “Yummy” still earned Grammy consideration – go figure.  Back only a year later, 💿 Justice is a better album.  That said, this respectable, at times, enjoyable album could use more excitement, personality, and pizazz.  Still, it has its fair share of moments.

“2 Much” 

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”  Agreed! Brief opener 🎵 “2 Much” commences with a sample from 🎙 Martin Luther King, one of two that occur during the course of Justice.  From there, Justin Bieber goes on to pay ode to the love of his life (Hailey), making it clear “Don’t wanna close my eyes, I’m scared I’ll miss to much.” He goes on to say on the chorus, “Two seconds without you’s like two months.” Safe to say, he loves his wife, as he should. From there, on ✅ 🎵 “Deserve You,” Bieber feels he’s been given the greatest gift of sorts – one that he feels undeserving of. Notably, on the pre-chorus, he asserts, “I’m prayin’ that I don’t go back to who I was.” Essentially, she’s made him a better and changed man, something we often hear about in regard to marriage.  All in all, Justin sings well, the production is sleek, and the overall message is on-point.

“Take me as I am, swear I’ll do the best I can / Say, ‘I’m not goin’ anywhere.’” On ✅ 🎵 “As I Am,” Justin Bieber brings along 🏆 Grammy-nominated R&B standout 🎙 Khalid for the assist.  Written by a host of songwriters (including Bieber and Khalid), “As I Am” is produced by an elite team: 🎛 The Monsters & Strangerz, 🎛 German, 🎛 Josh Gudwin, and 🎛 Ido Zmishlany. As to be expected, the vocals are elite. Bieber sounds nice when he sings softer and resides in his lower/middle register.  He also ascends, showing the power of his higher register, where he is more dynamic.  As for Khalid, there are few singers that possess his particular timbre; it’s special to say the least.  “As I Am” is tailor made to his voice and style. The stacked background vocals are awesome 👏.  Also, it’s pretty sweet when Justin and Khalid join forces, quite harmoniously, backed by that aforementioned sweet pop production work.  Lots to like about this record, which runs under three minutes in duration.

“Off My Face” 

Justin Bieber continues to show maturity on 🎵 “Off My Face,” focusing on the power of love.  He sounds lovely when he dips into his falsetto on the chorus, continuing to tout dedication to Hailey.  It’s not a particularly rousing or innovative pop number but give him credit for valuing his marriage.  It’s a similar situation on his hit advance single, ✅ 🎵 “Holy”. Here, he taps 🏆 Grammy-winning rapper 🎙 Chance the Rapper for the assist with positive results. A number of songwriters – 🎼 ✍ Jorgen Odegard, 🎼 ✍ Jon Bellion, 🎼 ✍ Michael Pollack, and 🎼 ✍ Tommy Lee Brown – in addition to Bieber and Chance, make “Holy” a winner. Furthermore, five producers are attributed to the record, definitely crafting many things to like about the record, particularly the blend of blend of pop and soul with some gospel cues.

Early on, Bieber provides us with beautiful vocals showing off his lovely tone and soulful vibes. He sings two verses, supported by choral vocals on the catchy chorus that follows each.

“The way you hold me, hold me, hold me, hold me, hold me
Feels so holy, holy, holy, holy, holy
On God
Runnin’ to the altar like a track star
Can’t wait another second
‘Cause the way you hold me, hold me, hold me, hold me, hold me
Feels so holy.”

As for Chance the Rapper, his verse is lengthy, beginning with melodic-driven rap before he opts for straight, agile, un-pitched rhymes. One final note, must shout-out how rousing “Holy” becomes towards the end, amplifying the gospel sensibilities even more. Praises!

“Unstable” 

Did you ever envision a Justin Bieber/ 🎙 The Kid LAROI collaboration? Well, it comes to fruition on 🎵 “Unstable.”  The record plays to the strengths of both artists, even if it doesn’t change the game per se.  Love is a big focus of Bieber, who is thankful for being loved when he was “unstable” – “Never judged me when I was unable / To love myself, to trust myself.” As for The Kid LAROI, who once asserted 💿 F*CK LOVE boldly, he proclaims his love as “An angel watchin’ over me / All I need.” Fair enough.  The second Martin Luther King, Jr. sample, the spiritually driven, encouraging 🎵 “MLK Interlude” follows, preceding full-length track, ✅ 🎵 “Die for You.” The connection between the two? Bieber’s willingness to do any and everything for his wife, including sacrificing his own life essentially. 

“Die for You” positively picks up the pace, something Justice needed at this particular juncture.  Keeping the collaborations interesting, 🎙 Dominic Fike joins Bieber for the ride, singing on the second verse.  Besides the increase in tempo, there’s plenty to heart about “Die for You.”  The groove and the production are definitely at the top of the list.  The sounds hearken back to the 80s, which is a great selling point too.  Also, listeners are treated to one of the best choruses of the album, sure to get stuck in one’s head.

“I would walk through burning fire
Even if your kiss could kill me
You know I would die for you
Yeah, I would die for you.”

“Hold On”

Of ✅ 🎵 “Hold On”, Justin Bieber tells NME it’s “a hopeful record of just holding on, because a lot of us want to give up at times.” Indeed, lyrically, “Hold On” finds Bieber offering both encouragement and support.  On the first verse, he’s supportive, asserting, “I’ll pick up the pieces if you come undone.”  On the second, he describes feelings of loneliness and uncertainty, singing, “You need connection but you can’t get close.” Notably, he uses his own mishaps as “someone who loses their way” as means not to give up and hold on. As far as messaging and writing (Bieber, 🎼✍ Alexandra Tamposi, 🎼✍ Andrew Watt, 🎼✍ Jon Bellion, 🎼✍ Louis Bell, 🎼✍ Luiza Bonfá, and 🎼✍ Walter de Backer), Justin says the right thing. Furthermore, he sings well; smoothly and expressively. Helping his cause is a pleasant, modern pop backdrop, produced by 🎛 Watt and 🎛 Bell.

On 🎵 “Somebody,” Bieber continues what could be characterized as his ‘positive vibes tour.’ He’s “So damn grateful ‘cause you make up for things I’m not,” for example.  He goes on to say, “Everybody needs somebody… who gon’ defend you like an army.”  Again, it’s a thoughtful message, though at this point, Justin has more than ‘hit it home.’ But, as you’d correctly suspect, he doesn’t stop there.  The 11^th track, 🎵 “Ghost” has little to do with Halloween or scary things.  Instead, it’s about the loss of a loved one:

“If I can’t be close to you
I’ll settle for the ghost of you
I miss you more than life.”

It’s a sweet sentiment mind you, regardless of whether it moves the needle onJustice.

“Peaches”

On ✅ 🎵 “Peaches,” Justin Bieber lets loose more, dropping some profanity on the chill chorus. We learn on this 🎙 GIVĒON and 🎙 Daniel Caesar-assisted number where his peaches, weed, and “bad-ass bitch” come from.  That’s definitely a contrast to much of Justice. Still, don’t let a couple of swears deflect from the main focus – L-O-V-E.  Both Caesar and GIVĒON devote their verses to their respective lovers. Following the chill “Peaches,” Bieber has plans to 🎵 “Love You Different.”  

Why? Well, apparently, she’s the one.  Something that is specifically different about “Love You Different” is the sound, which embraces sleek, tropical pop.  Confirming the topical, Jamaican tinged sound is a guest appearance by 🎙 BEAM.   The record is catchy enough if nothing else. Bieber enlists another international artist for the assist, Grammy winner 🎙 Burna Boy on 🎵 “Loved by You.”  It’s a similar scenario to “Love You Different” and definitely fits sequence wise.  Give Bieber credit for at least switching up stylistically, particularly considering relying so heavily on the same theme.

“Anyone” 

✅ 🎵 “Anyone” has no shortage of songwriters.  Some of the most notable names gracing the credits are 🎼 ✍ Andrew Watt, 🎼 ✍ Jon Bellion, and of course, Bieber himself.  Watt and Bellion join 🎛️ The Monsters & Strangerz behind the boards, crafting this pop/rock record.  Sound-wise, the best section is definitely the chorus, which is big, high-flying, and impactful.

Vocally, Bieber sounds solid, singing in his middle register on the verses, while also dipping into his upper register (chorus) and dropping some falsetto.  Thematically, he focuses on true love, specifically his wife, Hailey.  Honestly, the reflective chorus says it all:

“That you, are the only one I’ll ever love
Yeah, you, if it’s not you, it’s not anyone
Lookin’ back on my life, you’re the only good I’ve ever done
Yeah, you, if it’s not you, it’s not anyone.”

Bieber shines on the authentic, reflective, and vulnerable ✅ 🎵 “Lonely”, with 🎙 Benny Blanco. Although brief, “Lonely” runs a sufficient duration for Bieber to deliver arguably the most personal song of his career. Blanco and 🎙 FINNEAS ultimately provide him with a reflective, somber backdrop. As always, Justin gives us beautiful, expressive vocals. He reflects on the effects of fame, particularly at a young age. On the first verse, he sings, “Maybe when I’m older, it’ll all calm down / But it’s killin’ me now.” He goes on to drop the f-bomb on the pre-chorus, asserting “But no one’s listening / And that’s just fuckin’ lonely.” The chorus is simple but effective, highlighting the titular lyric. Admittedly, given Justin’s age and how bad his downward spiral was years back, it’s been tough to like him or relate to him.  That said, on “Lonely,” I appreciate the fact that he is so honest.

Final Thoughts 💭

So, how does Justice stack up for Justin Bieber? It’s definitely an improvement from Changes, which I found to be a snooze fest.  Also, the purported R&B album just didn’t feel like the right fit for the pop star, even if his music has consistently dipped into R&B.  That said, while Justice works better and is firmly planted in pop, it’s imperfect.  Bieber has made it clear he’s not the same wild, immature kid he once was.  That said, he’s also not always particularly cutting edge or exciting these days.  I heart his dedication to his wife and his rehabilitation, but at the same time, I long for more personality, distinction, and a more memorable album.  Justice is respectable, and at times, enjoyable, but I’d like MORE.

✅ Gems 💎: “Deserve You,” “As I Am,” “Holy,” “Hold On,” “Peaches,” “Anyone” & “Lonely”

🎙 Justin Bieber • 💿 Justice • 🏷 Def Jam • 🗓 3.19.21

[📷: Def Jam]