Listen now: The 5 best songs on Justin Bieber's 'Justice'
A year after grab-bag album âChanges,â Justin Bieber has delivered a definitive new era on âJustice.â
On the 16-track album, out Friday, Bieber has found his voice as an adult, husband and man of faith. After half a lifetime in the spotlight, heâs comfortable in his skin and it shows in a fully realized pop album.
With âJustice,â Bieber joins contemporaries including Taylor Swift and Harry Styles, whoâve managed to reinvent their sound in interesting and unexpected ways that appeal to both critics and fans.
Listen to "Justice" by Justin Bieber
Here are our five favorite songs from the 27-year-old pop star's most exciting release in years:
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5. âLoved by Youâ featuring Burna Boy
âI hate the way I need to be loved by youâ: On the surface, this is a song about longing to feel desired, then despising yourself for needing to be needed. But itâs hard not to remember Bieberâs long history of tabloid headlines, struggles with depression and "Purpose" tour cancellation and wonder if heâs really talking about the trappings of fame.
4. âHolyâ featuring Chance the Rapper
Bieber âcan't wait another secondâ to get to the altar in this ode to the epiphanic nature of love. Piano keys and a gospel tinge raise the song up, but it really soars when Chance the Rapper drops cheeky lines like âLife is short with a temper like Joe Pesciâ and pious rhymes âI know I ain't leavin' you like I know He ain't leavin' us / I know we believe in God and I know God believes in us.â
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3. âAs I Amâ featuring Khalid
Have you ever been in a relationship and wondered why the other person even liked you? Thatâs the feeling Bieber taps into, singing âsometimes I donât know why you love me. Sometimes I donât know why you care,â while admitting to having been selfish and trying to push love away. But he doesnât wallow, he lets love redeem in the playful, sing-song chorus. Rising star Khalidâs velvety vocals are a genius addition.
2. âDie for Youâ featuring Dominic Fike
The catchiest song on the album, this snappy track ebbs and flows in the most alluring way. Despite the macabre title, Bieberâs razor-sharp voice declaring âI would walk through burning fire, even if your kiss could kill meâ is deliciously seductive and makes us long for the day the dance floors are open again. Until then, you can find us singing âI would die for youâ out loud in the living room.
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1. âAnyoneâ
One of the best songs Bieber has ever released, âAnyoneâ puts an exclamation point on his personal and musical rebirth. The rose-colored glasses are off in this vulnerable and raw love song, which intertwines doubt that âYou say that I won't lose you, but you can't predict the future, 'cause certain things are out of our controlâ with the simple certainty that âforever's not enough time to love you the way that I want.â