Photo courtesy of Def Jam Recordings
Changes disappoints anitcipation
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Canadian pop-singer Justin Bieber went on a hiatus for four years following his Purpose album. He only featured in some songs, such as I Don’t Care with Ed Sheeran and I’m the One by DJ Khaled. Then, this year on Valentine’s Day, he released his newest album, Changes.
The album is filled with songs advertised to be about Bieber’s continuously changing life, but sadly, Changes did not meet expectations. It consisted of repetitive songs that seemed rushed, bland, and overall disappointing.
Yummy was Bieber’s first debut song, released on Jan. 2. The song was mainly composed of a simple and drab beat in the background and having “yummy, yum” repeated countless times. The song was far from a four-course meal and would have been given a one-star rating on Yelp.
Bieber also dedicated many of the songs in the album to his wife, Hailey Bieber. Songs such as That’s What Love Is, Take It Out On Me, and Confirmation voiced Bieber’s love and affection for his wife. Although the idea is heartwarming, the lyrics fall short and only reflect that of other popular songs today. For example, in That’s What Love Is, Bieber uses lyrics such as “wouldn’t want nobody else by my side” and “my self-esteem gets low, you lift it right up through the ceiling.” The meaning behind the lyrics have been used multiple times by different artists, such as Taylor Swift and Camila Cabello, making it too cliché.
Regardless of the many songs that are dry and unimpressive, there are some in Changes that stand out. In the song Intentions, featuring Quavo, the emotion demonstrated by Bieber, with the deep-toned bass being followed by a catchy, ‘bob-your-head’ beat is unique compared to the rest of the album and although the lyrics are bland, the whole song is catchy and meets expectations.
Bieber’s hiatus built anticipation, causing his fans to believe Changes would be better compared to his other albums, yet many of the songs failed to meet the anticipation. In past albums, like Purpose, there were different songs that showed the raw emotions that Bieber had, that was what I wanted in Changes. I wanted songs that I could connect to on an emotional level. Overall, I was disappointed, but I am still looking forward to Bieber’s new album knowing that he has talent and potential.
