There Is No 'Justice' on Justin Bieber's New Album

BY Rosemary AkpanPublished Mar 22, 2021

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In a year where racial injustice and suffering was visibly apparent, many celebrities took it upon themselves to use their platform to spread what they believed was awareness. Some posted a black square on Instagram and others participated in cringeworthy sing-along videos. Justin Bieber, however, decided to release his sixth studio album, Justice.

When Bieber first announced the album, he took to Instagram to say, "I know that I cannot simply solve injustice by making music but I do know that if we all do our part by using our gifts to serve this planet and each other, we are that much closer to being united." The 27-year-old singer went on by saying, "this is me doing a small part."

And a small part it was, indeed. 

Besides Bieber opening the album with the song "2 Much," which uses a snippet of Martin Luther King speaking on injustice, as well as dedicating a whole track to Dr. King with "MLK Interlude," the singer doesn't actually mention anything about justice on the album's 16 songs. Instead, the album feels like a continuation of his self-proclaimed R&B album Changes, released only 13 months prior.

Just like on Changes, Bieber just can't stop singing about his loving and wholesome relationship with his wife, Hailey. Songs like "Deserve You," "Off My Face" and "Unstable" are slow melodic odes that reflect on how much the pop star and his wife have really grown together and have come a long way within their relationship. For the most part, the album is a collection of whimsical pop- and rock-inspired tracks.

Thankfully, Bieber switches it up a bit thanks to standouts like Afrobeats track "Loved by You," featuring Nigerian artist Burna BoyChance the Rapper collab "Holy," and TikTok favourite "Peaches" with Giveon and Daniel Caesar. He even elicits empathy on "Lonely," as the singer lays himself bare with lyrics such as, "And everybody saw me sick / And it felt like no one gave a shit."

Although Bieber created a decent body of work, it's hard to get past that the sentiments of the overall message is skewed by the lack of effort towards creating music that addresses any sort of justice or lack thereof. The title reeks of performative activism and goes to show how out of touch the singer truly is. Though the music is good, it's safe to say the album title doesn't do him or anyone else much justice at all.
(Def Jam)

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