'Changes' Review: Justin Bieber shows off a new-found passion for 'R&Bieber' in the remarkable comeback album
The long-anticipated new album 'Changes' by music superstar Justin Bieber has finally dropped. Bieber released 'Changes' on February 14 and has extended his abilities beyond expectations on the new record, giving fans a rather sizey treat of 17 songs.
With frequent references on Bieber's YouTube series 'Seasons', the 25-year-old singer describes the new material as "R&Bieber" and we can see why. There is a noticeable departure from his renowned pop style.
However, 'Changes' manages to give fans more than enough recognizable styles co-operating with a whole new paradigm of musical elements in a playground of R&B, trap, soul and a sort of bubblegum rap intertwined between select songs that open doorways for new potential fans to get entranced.
Before we get started on the songs featuring Bieber on the vocals, let's take a moment to dive into a few collaborative songs. The Canadian singer has included a handful of songs that feature other big names in the industry, such as Post Malone, Travis Scott, Kehlani, Lil Dicky and Clever.
'Forever', the track in collaboration with Post Malone and Clever, features a snappy trio with the 'Circles' singer and an artiste making headlines as of late, Clever.
Bieber kicks off the opening and builds subtly into the verses and choruses. Post Malone comes in at verse 2 and joins Bieber on the following chorus. Clever chimes in verse 3 and harmonizes with Bieber on the outro. 'Forever' is a brotherhood of trap with all three artistes appealing to listeners to bop to its catchy grooves.
'Second Emotion' which features Travis Scott drives forward at midtempo with an obscure alienesque instrumental melody while Bieber sings the chorus and Travis Scott comes in strong towards the end. Twenty seconds in and the song immediately enforces itself as one we may catch a few people singing out loud to in public.
'Intentions ft. Quavo' highlights a sweeter theme with soft instrumentals in keypad tones and shows off Bieber's soothing melodic vocals that he is famous for.
Along with lyrics "Picture perfect, you don't need no filter. Gorgeous, make 'em drop dead, you a killer. Shower you with all my attention. Yeah, these are my only intentions" in the chorus, we find ourselves charmed by the song's honey-dipped romantic sounds.
'Habitual', the second song on 'Changes' is one of the slower, softer songs on the album and reverberates in a sultry romantic number.
With lyrics "Aggressive but softly, you place your lips on my lips. We're each other's vice" and "Earth keeps spinnin' around, we're breathin'. So thankful", we get an understanding of Bieber's intimate feelings for wife Hailey Bieber.
This could be well-paired with 'That's What Love Is' from the album with its pretty, arpeggiated acoustic guitar tickling in romantics and Bieber singing lyrics like "I reach out to you, but my hands can't hold enough. Enough of your greatness. You teach me patience. Like the best of our worlds collide."
The sixth track on the LP 'Available' highlights a wide vocal range that reveals just how truly talented Justin Bieber is.
Hitting high notes with ease, dropping sudden lows in between the song and taking a few surprising turns is how Bieber suspends the vocals powerfully and it's safe to say the singer has expanded the on the R&B genre as a whole.
Track 13 with the same name as the LP, 'Changes', carries a strong message reminding fans that Bieber has his own strengths and weaknesses just like everyone else.
In light of the recent discovery (through his docu-series 'Seasons') that Bieber has had his fair share of troubles, with a history of drug abuse and his diagnosis of Lyme disease, 'Changes' offers a glimpse at the emotional state and trials the singer is going through.
The closing of the song shares a bold view on the singer's faith: "I'm going through changes. No, I ain't changed, yeah. Uh, people change, circumstances change. But God always remains the same."
It would be an injustice not to mention the brilliance behind every song on the new album, but in summary, Bieber has found a new maturity, putting all the troubles of his past behind him and rendering an amazing list of new works.
'Changes' has captivated both new and old fans of Justin Bieber with beautiful "R&Bieber" music. Twitter fans shared their excitement and support for the singer and his new studio LP, saying "We're so proud of you!", "This is pure gold" and a few called the album a "masterpiece".
Some called the new LP "iconic" and referred to it as being "album of the year". The list of sheer love for 'Changes' goes on and on.