Photo Courtesy: IndyStar
2021 has been a year full of surprises in the world of music. 24kGoldn released his album, “El Dorado,” Drake shook the Billboard charts with, “Scary Hours II,” and the Kid LAROI just announced he will be releasing his second album on May 1st. Out of everything that has happened, nothing tops the release of Justin Bieber’s latest project.
Titled, “Justice,” Bieber’s new album is a compilation of his old self and some modern mashups. The album includes seven solo songs, and interlude dedicated to Martin Luther King Jr., and several features including the Kid LAROI, Dominic Fike, Daniel Caesar, and GIVEON.
The main theme of the album is embedded in the title itself: justice. Justin Bieber drives home the idea that everyone deserves to fight for what they need, whether it’s through social injustice or through a common breakup. For Justin Bieber, it’s proving that he is no longer the rowdy and irresponsible teenager that he once was. Bieber features two snippets of Martin Luther King Jr., with both emphasizing the idea of justice. In his opening song, “2Much,” he adds a quote from Dr. King stating:
“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”
This statement reminds all of us that if we don’t seek justice for the mistakes in our lives, the rest of the world will do the same. Lead by example and fight for your life.
One of the most prominent songs that Bieber includes in his album is, “Lonely” with Benny Blanco. The man behind the song’s instrumentals, Blanco only features a somber piano throughout the duration of the song. The piano adds to the idea that this is a touchy subject for Bieber to talk about, especially to his fans. This is one of Bieber’s most heartfelt songs. Every word has meaning behind it, and it relates to his previous mistakes. Take a closer look at this verse he says:
“Everybody knowns my past now like my house was always made of glass, and maybe that’s the price you pay for the money and fame at an early age.”
Bieber is referring to early success in her early teens such as his smash song, “Baby.” His money and fame as a teenager took him down a darker road, eventually leading to alcohol and drug addictions. Now 27 years old, Justin Bieber is happily married to Hailey Baldwin and is living a completely different life. However, Bieber still reinforces the idea that his house is, “made of glass” due to his past wrongdoings. People still think less of him and try to knock him down because of something he did as a teenager.
Another popular song that Bieber published is, “Peaches” featuring Daniel Caesar and GIVEON. This song gives a completely different vibe than most of the other songs in the project. This is the type of song you want to jam out to if you are driving in South Beach. It creates a summer-like, upbeat mood that takes away from the somber tone of the total album. Caesar and GIVEON also add a soothing and comfortable feeling to compliment the guitar in the background.
One of the biggest things that drew more attention to this album was the addition of the Kid LAROI. LAROI is an up-and-coming rap sensation that is known for his sad songs discussing heartbreak. His voice is also very emotional. Fans can understand what he is going through by the tone and emphasis in his voice. When LAROI and Bieber collaborated in the song, “Unstable,” it was an instant success. The lyrics and mood allowed both artists to show their talents and develop a true story. The Kid LAROI and Justin Bieber have also developed a good friendship, so don’t be surprised if Bieber is featured in LAROI’s new project.
Overall, “Justice” deserved every bit of the hype it got. Every song told a story and contributed to the idea that everyone deserves a chance to fight. Justin Bieber may not be the person he used to be when he first broke onto the music scene, but he sure blew people away with a one-of-a-kind album.