Justin Bieber’s latest album, “Justice,” has received reactions all across the board. While many have not refrained from expressing their confusion of the Martin Luther King Jr. and romance combinations, nothing has stopped Bieber’s album from reaching a well-deserved seat at #1 in the charts.
During the promotion of Bieber’s sixth studio album, the singer stated in an Instagram post that the goal behind the album was to “continue the conversation of what justice looks like so we can continue to heal.” To further amplify this expectation for the album, Bieber released the single “Hold On” — a call for fans to not give up during these unprecedented times. But when the entire album was released, listeners were surprised by the overload of love and romance songs dedicated to his wife, Hailey Bieber.
While the random and, slightly obscure, placements of MLK quotes amidst songs having seemingly nothing to do with social justice continue to throw audiences for a loop, the album clearly carries a higher focal point — the blessings of his first year of marriage.
In some of the confusion as to why Bieber chose to use MLK quotes and songs about his wife interchangeably, the singer clarified his intentions behind the album in an interview on the Zach Sang Show, where “Justice” has been given a whole new level of meaning. Bieber expressed that the album allowed him to reflect on the blessings in his life, which is what “gets us through difficult challenges,” such as those the world is experiencing right now. He went on to explain how he prayed for the type of consistency that has come with his wife and he doesn’t want to take her for granted. While the album may not solely focus on the topics we may have initially anticipated, there is no doubt that it tells a beautiful story of Bieber’s gratitude for his blessings amidst this season.
As “Justice” is nothing short of remarkable for its strong vocals, catchy beats and beautiful use of acoustics, another promotion approach may have allowed for a different initial reaction. But moving past the period where you may be looking for something that’s not there, it’s clear that Bieber maintained his reputation in creating hits.
“Off My Face,” the fourth track on the album, stands out as a sentimental representation of Bieber being love-struck. The song reflects a similar style to the songs off of his underrated 2013 album “Journals.” The new album contains an appropriate mix of fun and upbeat road trip anthems and heartwarming ballads.“Justice” successfully accentuates the singer’s vocal talent, specifically in “Peaches,” which Bieber gave fans a live snippet of prior to the official release.
As the album features a wide variety of artist collaborations, it’s safe to say that they all uphold the copious amount of passion that the album entices. There’s also room for fans who have followed Bieber since the beginning of his career to collect hints of nostalgia throughout the album. From “Never Say Never” ft. Jaden Smith, the iconic duo is back together again for the album’s 18th track “I Can’t Be Myself,” and it doesn’t disappoint.
While Bieber had the potential to do something really powerful with the MLK representation, it’s undeniable that “Justice” did not lack meaning or talent. Whether or not it was interpreted by everyone, Bieber definitely has a compelling purpose and passion behind the creation of this album. In the interview with Zach Sang, he said that this was the first time he’s ever “really enjoyed the process of making an album,” and this is beyond evident throughout. It’s clear in each of the songs as well as all of the music videos and live performances that he’s enjoying himself more than ever, which makes the album all the more entertaining, and listeners can definitely expect a high level of emotions.
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