This past Friday, Justin Bieber came out with his new album, “Justice”. The new album’s his sixth studio album following ‘Changes’, which came out last year on Valentine’s Day. While I’ve never written a full review for an album before on this blog, I felt the need to this time.
The Music
It’s no secret that I’m a longtime fan of Justin Bieber. I even dedicated a ‘Song of the Week’ to “Monster”, his collaboration with Shawn Mendes not too long ago. So, to say I was excited about his next album feels like an understatement. Then, it finally came and the music did not disappoint. And I suspected that it wouldn’t because I loved all the singles when they came out. Especially “Anyone” and “Hold On”.
The track order, however, is curious. It’s not as solid story-wise in the way the songs are arranged. However, I’m not too bothered by that. But I will say that the theme for this album (excluding the MLK dedication, more on that later) is very similar to his last album, ‘Changes’. But ‘Justice’ leans more into the love he feels, presumably towards his wife, Hailey Bieber, whereas ‘Changes’ focused more on his mental health.
The MLK Dedication
While his intentions may have been sincere, Justin’s dedication towards Martin Luther King Jr. feels misplaced. The first thing we hear when listening to ‘Justice’ is MLK’s revering voice. Specifically, we hear him say, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere”. Additionally, the seventh track on the album titled, “MLK Interlude” also features his voice again (which also ends abruptly, might I add).
However, that’s where the connection ends. The music, while great, is more about falling in love as well as a few songs about his mental health (namely, “Lonely” and “Unstable”). Which, as I mentioned before, is very similar to the theme of ‘Changes’. But at least Martin Luther King Jr.’s daughter’s grateful for the support and Justin’s actively supporting organizations that quote, “embody what justice looks like in action”. So, at least he’s got that going for him.