The past two years of Justin Bieber’s life have been marked by more mistakes than triumphs. Since the release of his 2013 collection “Journals,” the star has not only been charged with a DUI in Miami — the charge that lead to his infamous mugshot — but he has also been charged for assault in multiple major cities. A White House petition also gathered hundreds of thousands of signatures demanding his deportation to Canada.
Though many of these feats never resulted in jail time or deportation, by the end of 2014, Bieber had his work cut out if he was to keep his fanbase — a fanbase he has attempted to solidify with the release of “Purpose.”
“Mark my words, that’s all that I have,” Bieber croons at the beginning of the album. The record is a mix of acute self-awareness and self-pity, though it never drags. It is a party album at its core, featuring his hit singles such as “Sorry,” “What Do You Mean?” and his summer hit produced by Skrillex and Diplo, “Where Are Ü Now.” Though the songs’ intended messages may be heavy and consequential, they’re balanced by the whimsy, light-hearted tropical beats. This is possibly a response to his previous release “Journals,” an experimental R&B album that was a resounding commercial failure.
Throughout the album, Bieber also tries to redeem his past actions with songs such as “Children” and the album’s title track in which he addresses his past actions with lines such as “...It’s like, God, I’m giving it all I got, sometimes,” reemphasizing he is a human.
Additionally, in the wake of his multiple assault charges and the iconic mugshot, Bieber still praises the generation for the social change they can enact on “Children,” with lines such as “Be a visionary for a change / We’re the generation / Who’s gonna be the one to fight for it? / We’re the inspiration.” Although he may not be the most qualified to usher out a call to action, at this point, it’s the thought that counts.
Though Bieber’s new album comes off just as pretentious as it does lighthearted, his return to lighthearted pop is one audiences are sure to be thankful for.
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