I wanted to like it. I really, really did. But, Justin Bieber’s newest album, Justice, just left me disappointed, confused and frankly, offended.
Justin Bieber released Justice, his sixth studio album on Friday. The album included singles like “Holy”, “Lonely”, and “Anyone”. I don’t enjoy “Lonely” because of the chorus alone; the part where Bieber sounds like he’s howling out the word “Lonely” is just obnoxious. “Holy” and “Anyone” are the best parts of this album, and we already knew those songs well prior to this weekend.
None of the songs on the album stood out to me. They all sounded repetitive, and sounded like every other Justin Bieber song out there. I enjoyed his Changes album last year, and was hoping that this release would be even better. Nope.
The album was not only dull to me, but insensitive. Bieber has been fighting a lawsuit tooth and nail to name this album Justice, and for what? None of the songs have anything to do with justice. They are all about his life, and finding happiness, and his wife Hailey.
There are several interludes of infamous speeches by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who fought for civil rights and social justice issues his whole life. After an interlude of a message from King, Justin follows it up with an 80’s-like pop song called “Die For You” in which he promises to completely devote himself to Hailey. To go from a message fighting for equality to singing to your wife how much you need her. Justin, what are you thinking?
In one song called “Unstable”, Justin sings, “there were times when I couldn’t even breathe”. Considering the title of this album, the use of MLK’s messages, and the events of summer 2020, many fans found it insensitive that Justin would use these lyrics to talk about his need for his partner and his own anxieties and not a social justice issue.
So, what did we get out of Justice? A bunch of mushy-gushy love songs that all sound the same, and have nothing to do with, well, “justice”. Justin, please do better next time.