The only word that comes to mind when listening to the Justin Bieber album “Changes” is slow.
It is an album that someone would listen to with thier significant other in the car and talk about their feelings after the end of a long day. The songs are heavily influenced by his current marriage with Hailey Baldwin and the positive impact that she has had on his life most noticeably in the songs “Come Around Me” and “Intentions.” And there is nothing wrong with publicly proclaiming one’s love for millions of people to purchase, but the problem comes when all seventeen of his songs are slow and drag on.
Since the first time Justin released a song, it has always been upbeat, and a party must have. As he as matured, his music has also matured and has grown to become more serious, talking about heart breaks and knowing when someone is toxic. “Changes” is a completely different side of Justin Bieber that no one was asking for.
This isn’t to say that others artists haven’t done the same thing before. Taylor Swift is a prime example; moving from country to pop: she has become well known for her genre change. Selena Gomez also went from super upbeat songs to ones that are softer and deal with deeper topics. But what Swift and Gome did that Bieber did not do, is slowly introduce their audience to a new type of music.
If Bieber’s album had one or two songs that fans could dance to or belt out in their cars, then the transition would have been a lot smoother and a lot more enjoyable.
Just looking at the words and setting aside the music in the background makes the album easier to listen to. There is depth, and every lyric feels honest and sincere. In the first song “All Around Me” the first lyric goes, “Not sure what I was doing before ya. I quit tryna figure it out.” Another honarable Lyric reads, “Every time I go the wrong way, you turn me back around.” Any girl listening would immediately feel important.
Bieber’s album is that person who is a friend only in school and then you see them outside of school and the tension is weird. It’s not that the person is unwelcomed, just unexpected and a little off-putting. I give Justin Bieber’s new album 3 out of 5 stars.