Throwback Album Review: “Purpose” by Justin Bieber

As I am writing this, one of the top songs being played in the U.S. is “Beauty and a Beat,” a song by Justin Bieber and Nicki Minaj and a single from his hit 2012 album “Believe.” Unless you have been living under a rock, you know exactly why this has happened and why there has been a resurgence of public interest in Bieber’s catalogue. If you had told me back in early 2010, when I heard the sugary-sweet bubblegum pop smash “Baby,” that the then 16-year old Bieber would not only go on to have a career transitioning from an internet celeb to a shape-shifting, culturally enduring pop superstar, but would go on to drop some really good albums, a slew of hit singles, win loads of MTV and Billboard Music Awards AND headline Coachella 16 years later, I would have scoffed. However, if there is one thing to be said about his Coachella performance, it is that Bieber will keep being a mainstay in our collective memory just by dint of the music he has given us over these years. He sent the audience into a frenzy when he pulled up his old videos from YouTube (the platform where he was discovered) and sang over his old snippets and songs. On the second weekend, he serenaded Billie Eilish with “One Less Lonely Girl,” and it reminded me of a time in my life where I was happy listening to syrupy pop songs about love. Perhaps this is the power of nostalgia: no matter how old Bieber gets, he will never really “grow up” in our eyes. He will keep having this protective hug around him, because we have been watching him since he was a kid.

This made me want to go back to his earlier albums and listen to them. Of course, not all his songs stick, but the ones that do have some panache. The first Bieber album I had listened to in full was “Purpose,” which came out in 2015. I remember being impressed with how well-produced, competent and fun that album was. Having listened to the album in full a couple of times over the past three days, with a more mature set of ears, I would admit that “Purpose” remains a pretty good pop album.

“What Do You Mean?” still proves to be an enjoyable tropical-house infused track that bubbles with charisma (that tick-tock intro remains iconic). It was Justin’s first number one hit, but over the decade, the elements that have snuck into my subconscious the most are the lyrics. “WDYM,” like many other songs here, is very well-written to the point of being quote or caption worthy. Justin is a very convincing dumb guy on this song, and I mean that as a compliment. He’s trying to process mixed messages from his girl, and he has absolutely no idea how. He wants her to stay, but he thinks he “can’t win.” This woman wants him around one moment and is completely sick of him the next. When he asks for clarity, he sounds desperate and pathetic. I would be lying if I said I have not been this exact person at least once in my life. There is nothing I can say about “Sorry” that hasn’t already been said. Justin admits his mistakes (“I know you know that I made those mistakes maybe once or twice / and by once or twice, I mean maybe a couple of hundred times”), but one can question how serious his apology is (“I’ll take every single piece of the blame if you want me to / but you know that there is no innocent one in this game for two”). The song’s production is a masterclass, and that’s thanks to Skrillex and BloodPop on the board. Skrillex joined hands with Diplo and prepared the instrumental bed for Justin to unleash his emotive, vulnerable and contorted vocals on “Where Are U Now?” (“I gave you attention when nobody else was payin’ / I gave you the shirt off my back, what you sayin’? To keep you warm”).

If you heard “Love Yourself” and thought this sounded like something Ed Sheeran would perform, then you’d be right. Ed Sheeran composed this, alongside Benny Blanco. It is a gem of a song that manages to sound salty yet cute (who can forget the iconic line “my mama don’t like you and she likes everyone?”). The album revels in its three consecutive guest features, Big Sean, Travis Scott and Halsey, each leaving their distinctive imprints on a diverse yet cohesive album. I love how expansive “The Feeling” sounds (“sugar on your lips, it starts to kill / jagged like a pill, so hard to swallow”). To me, “Children” is the weakest song on the album. As much as I appreciate the message behind it, the EDM sound diminishes the impact. However, I would not complain about the closing track. “Purpose” is a subdued and quiet piano ballad where Justin sings about his relationship with God (“I put my all into your hands / here’s my soul to keep / I let you in with all that I can / you’re not hard to reach”). This was perhaps the first time Justin sang something invoking the higher power, and it feels poignant given he had a life full of personal struggles, constant media scrutiny and strong public derision for almost all his career (which continues to this day). Justin sounds earnest and honest and wants to find some solace in his faith. It is a resonant moment that has gone on to impact much of his later output.

Overall, “Purpose” sounds like a very strong distillation of the Justin Bieber sound, the blueprint of all that had happened before and all that was to follow. It is amazing to see that someone like Justin has managed to remain productive (I loved the set of “SWAG” albums that dropped last year) and culturally relevant many years after he was hoisted to the public eye. Perhaps there was more to Justin than what the haters initially thought.