It has been truly incredible to watch Justin Bieber transform from a teenage sensation into the pop star that he is today, and, after a few months here of hype generating around his latest, fourth album, Purpose, we see that he has arguably his best full-length studio album to date. From radio-friendly cuts "What Do You Mean?" and "Sorry", to the emotional "I'll Show You" and the inclusion of the massive Skrillex and Diplo-produced "Where Are U Now", Purpose is a complete departure from Bieber's previous body of work. It's a mature project by far with its astounding production value and Justin's vocals leaning more into the R&B realm as opposed to that of pop, and, even further, with the assistance of artists like Halsey, Travis Scott, and Big Sean, Bieber shows he knows the importance of smart and contemporary features as well. Getting more into the music, there are certainly some standout tracks here. The title track, "Purpose", is an obvious one. It's a piano-led, pining love song about someone that's given him, well, purpose. It's the perfect closer to the album, too, filled with harmonies and a spoken word recording from Bieber himself. The track is produced by Scooter Braun, his longtime manager and the man who discovered him. Another impeccable track (and our new favorite) is "No Sense." It draws a lot of influence from trap and R&B genres, and it employs Bieber's signature falsetto alongside hard-hitting production from Soundz. Travis Scott provides a feature verse at the end, too, to round it out. Overall, Bieber manages to get across many themes through the music he has here—love, heartbreak, resilience, but, most importantly, redemption. The album just isn't the rebranding of Bieber's music, but a complete overhaul of his life as well. He's had to prove a point with this new album at such a pivotal point in his career, and we believe that he certainly, certainly has. Purpose is available for purchase on Apple Music, and it's available for streaming on Spotify as well. (We have our favorite cuts to get you started below.)
Justin Bieber