Popstar Justin Bieber has hit the headlines more for his bad behaviour than his music in recent years. Aside from 2013 compilation release Journals, Bieber hasnāt actually released an album since 2012ās Believe. Despite his absence from the world of music, heās never been out of the news thanks to his on/off relationship with Selena Gomez, his controversial remarks, his arrests and his general poor behaviour towards his fans. Now Bieber is trying to turn the attention back to his music in the midst of a bid to rehabilitate his image with the release of fourth album Purpose.
The early signs are looking good for Bieber as his last three singles ā Where Are U Now with Jack U, What Do You Mean? and Sorry have all proven to be big hits for the popstar. Current single Sorry could be interpreted as an apology not only to a lover heās let down but also his fans for the way heās behaved over the last few years. It may only be a surface deep apology but it seems to be doing the trick as the song has peaked at number 2 in the UK and the US. Previous single What Do You Mean? repositioned Bieber as a credible pop artist and scored him one of his biggest hits to date landing at number one on both sides of the Atlantic.
Purpose opens with the tone-setting Mark My Words where Bieber promises to be better and do better by a lover that has lost trust in him. Itās easy to read between the lines here and infer that Bieber is promising to do better in general and stop veering off his path towards popstar greatness. The general theme for Purpose is Bieber taking an inward look at his life and antics offering an unusually honest appraisal. The steady R&B beats of Iāll Show You finds Bieber reminding fans that heās only human and suggesting that dealing with fame hasnāt been an easy ride.
One of the best songs on the album is the stripped-back Love Yourself. Itās a deceptively feisty lyric with Bieber kicking a former girlfriend to the curb but musically itās one of the most mature songs weāve heard from the singer. Another highlight is the electro-rhythms of Children where Bieber seems to acknowledge his potential to do good thanks to his undeniable influence over a generation. Itās pretty inspiring stuff and surprisingly forward-thinking for the star.
Elsewhere on the album title track Purpose is an exploration of Bieberās beliefs as he admits āsometimes Iām weak and Iām gonna do it, and itās like Iām not giving myself graceā. The dancefloor feel of Get Used To It offers a lighter moment in a surprisingly weighty album, Nas features on the hip-hop influenced We Are, and piano ballad Life is Worth Living feels like a mission statement rather than a throwaway pop track.
Purpose proves that away from the immature behaviour and bravado, Bieber is actually a really great popstar when he bothers to concentrate on his music. Weād much prefer to read about the starās musical achievements than his personal downfalls so weāre crossing our fingers that Purpose is a turning point for him. Either way Bieberās rise to fame is a cautionary tale about the dangers of fame at an early age but weāre hopeful heāll continue to rebuild his image than follow the path of the Lindsay Lohanās of the world.