I first heard about Justin Bieber back in 2009 when someone sent me a link to him singing Chris Brown's extremely popular hit, "With You". If you have no idea what video I'm talking about, give it a watch
here. As soon as I watched it, and saw the amount of views, I knew this kid would be big. I did some research on him and discovered many more videos of him singing covers and I realised just why he had such a big, almost cult-like, following. They call themselves "Beliebers" (a mash-up of Bieber and Believe, get it? Good) and thanks to all of these fans, Justin has become one of the biggest stars in the world. As of May 2012 (before Believe was released), he had sold an incredible
15 million albums. So I, like many other fans of his, wondered "How can he top this? Surely his music can't get any better?". And then he released "Believe"...
The Album....
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| The official album artwork for "Believe [Deluxe Edition] |
Artist: Justin Bieber
Album: Believe [Deluxe Edition]
Release Date: 18/06/2012
Label: The Island Def Jam Music Group
Track Listings:
1. All Around the World Feat. Ludacris2. Boyfriend3. As Long As You Love Me Feat. Big Sean 4. Catching Feelings
5. Take You6. Right Here Feat. Drake
7. Fall
8. Die In Your Arms9. Thought Of You10. Beauty And A Beat Feat. Nicki Minaj 11. One Love12. Be Alright13. Believe14. Out of Town Girl15. She Don't Like the Lights16. Maria
Many people claim this is the "Album Of The Year" but just how good is it...
The album kicks off with a dance track called "All Around The World". You know the type of track I'm talking about...The ones with a good beat and a catchy melody but no real substance to the lyrics. There is a LOT of repetition in this song, which does get a bit annoying after a while. JB has teamed up once again with rapper Ludacris, and luckily his verse gives this song the kick it needs. It's not a bad song, but I've heard better. Possibly not the best album opener...6/10
Second, we have "
Boyfriend". The lead single from the album, it had to deliver. And it definitely did. It sounds completely different to anything JB's ever done before and the only thing I can compare it to is Justin Timberlake. The falsetto, the soft rapping, the catchy chorus...If you put this onto Timberlake's album, it wouldn't seem out of place. Out of all the songs on the album, this definitely sounds the most mature. And it has proven, that there really are no ends to Justin's talents. He can even rap. Watch the video
here.
8.5/10
Number three on the album is "
As Long As You Love Me" (which I was shocked and upset to find out it wasn't a cover of the Backstreet Boys classic). But all jokes aside, this song honestly blew me away. Justin's vocals in this song are incredible, they start off quiet and simple and slowly build up throughout the song. The ad libs in the last chorus remind us all, just why he's so successful. Everything about this song from the lyrics, to the melody, to Big Sean's amazing verse, this is one song on the album that everybody needs to listen to. Justin also seemed to think that as he released it as a single. The video is just as good as the song and has been deemed a "mini movie". See what you
think.
9/10
The fourth song is the first ballad on the album, "Catching Feelings". Quite an odd title, and still, even after owning this album for almost two months, I'm still not sure how to "catch a feeling" or even what it means. I really wanted this song to be good, because in the past, JB's ballads have been the best part of his albums. However, this really didn't live up to my expectations. It sounds like a song a 90's boy band would release, and not a good one. But, the lyrics, though simple, are cute and for the younger listeners experiencing their first crushes, this would be a good song. But, as Bieber has said he wants this album to be more mature, I'm a bit puzzled as to why he chose to include this. Not great but not awful. 5/10
Fifth, we have "Take You". On first listen, I'm not going to lie, I wasn't a massive fan. I considered it a filler and wasn't sure why JB chose this song. However, the more you listen to it, the more you fall in love. It's quite a simple song. No big notes, no exceptional lyrics, nothing that really makes it stand out from the crowd. But there's something about it. The way he almost seems to mumble the verses, then switches it up by using falsetto in the bridge, it's enthralling. The "oo-woah-oh" after every line in the verse starts off being annoying, then the more you listen to it, the more you find yourself singing along. All in all, a great, great song. 7/10
"Right Here" is the sixth track on the album. And straightaway this song has a good vibe about it. You can tell this song has a big Drake influence, Justin sounds very similar to him in this. Quite monotone in the verses, but then he completely switches it up for the chorus. The melody is possibly the best out of all the songs on the album and although the lyrics could be better, they do the job. Very well, in fact. Like Boyfriend, Right Here shows a more mature side to Justin, which is definitely a good thing. This could make an extremely successful single, especially with Drake's name on it. Drake adds a lot to this song, which is possibly the reason it seems so mature. The only downside is that I wish Justin hadn't chose to sing like Drake in this song, he has an incredible voice so he doesn't need to sound like someone else. 8/10
Seventh is"Fall". Without a doubt, this was the song I was most excited for. I knew it would be a ballad and after being disappointed with Catching Feelings, I was hoping for a huge, epic song that made my heart warm. And boy, did he deliver. This song gave me goosebumps the first time, and continues to every single time I listen to it. In essence, it's just your average love song. But Justin's voice, the lyrics, and the incredible melody make this so much more. It's beautiful and is exactly the kind of song Justin should be making. It's the kind of song that makes you want to fall in love, and feel the things that he's singing about. He tells a story about a girl scared to fall in love because she was hurt before. Like I already said, quite a basic story. Been told many times before. But I doubt anyone's ever told it this well. Absolutely stunning. 9.5/10
Number eight is "Die In Your Arms". Justin himself has said this track is very Motown inspired. It certainly sounds like a song The Jackson 5 might record. However, this song is missing something. Something I can't quite put my finger on. It doesn't have that (sorry to be so clichéd but...) "je ne sais quoi" that I think songs like this need. His vocals sound good, although quite a lot younger than the rest of the album, perhaps this was recorded a little while ago? I think Justin did as well as he could with quite a mediocre song. It should have sounded like "ABC" or "I Want You Back" but it sounded more like a second rate Motown song. 6.5/10
"Thought Of You" is number 9 on the album. Again, this sounds quite "old-school" but this time, it works. Although it does have a Motown vibe, it also feels modern. And when the chorus kicks in and Justin starts it off with a big note, you understand just how wide his vocal range actually is. You rarely hear singers like Justin hit notes that high, but he seems to do it with ease. The lyrics are also good, not mind blowing, but very decent. However the melody is where you understand why Justin chose to put this song on the album. It's very feel good, it makes you want to smile and dance, without being a try-hard dance song. 8.5/10
Now we come to a highly anticipated track, number ten is "Beauty And A Beat". This features Nicki Minaj, who personally, I am a huge fan of. I wasn't sure how their music would come together though, as Justin has quite a young fan base whereas Nicki often swears in her songs. Luckily, she kept the swearing down to one word (although, "bitches" doesn't really count as swearing in my opinion) and thank God. If this hadn't made the album, it would have been a travesty. Maybe I'm biased, but this song is the stand-out up-tempo track of the album. Obviously, a play on words (beauty and a beat - beauty and the beast, get it?) this song is guaranteed to make you want to dance. At the start of the song, it does sound like a generic, boring dance track. But as it goes on, Justin's voice and the clever lyrics make it so much more than that. Then Nicki comes in and BOOM! She even goes as far as mentioning Selena Gomez, Justin's girlfriend. To me, and other fans of Nicki, this is a must-listen. And even if you don't like her, give it a go anyway. 9/10
"One Love" follows at number eleven. Like Take You, this song seems quite dull to start with. Not much to get excited about. Then, a few listens later, it becomes strangely addictive. My favourite bit is "I don't want, want nobody, when I got, got your body, baby no, no, nobody, has got what I need tonight". It seems to roll of the tongue and makes the song seem a lot older. It also seems to echo his first single "One Time". The chorus to that was "Girl you're my one love, my one heart, my one life for sure...". This song goes "'cause all I need is one love, one love, one heart". See the similarities? I dont know if this was done on purpose, but I think it works well, showing how far he's come. 7/10
Twelfth is "Be Alright". A beautiful acoustic track which is simply Justin's voice and a guitar. I like listening to songs like this, to hear how an artist sounds when they're all stripped back. Many have tried and failed. But Justin does magnificently. It's a very simple song, but very well written. It's tracks like this that show how talented Justin is. It harks back to the days when he started out, busking on street corners and uploading acoustic videos to YouTube. Again, the storyline is quite simple, it's about being away from someone and telling them you'll be back soon, you'll be alright, but Justin somehow makes it seem fresh and new. I love hearing his voice with no gimmicks or editing, just pure. And this definitely was that. 8/10
"Believe" is next at number thirteen and as the title suggests, it's about believing. But in this case, it's about Justin's fans believing in him and how each and everyone of them got him where he is today. Which is very true obviously, if they didn't buy his album and concert tickets and merchandise, he would have got dropped from his record label almost instantly. Personally, I like the fact he's dedicated a song to his fans. Many artists today seem to forget that without fans, they're nothing. The song itself is good. Nothing remarkable, but enough to bring a tear to your eye if you're a Belieber. The whole thing centers around the phrase "Where would I be, if you didn't believe". Hence the title of the album. It's very heartfelt and sweet, with good lyrics and a good melody. As good as can be expected in the circumstances. It probably won't win any awards but it'll have a special place in his fan's hearts. 7.5/10
The first of the bonus tracks on the deluxe album is number fourteen "Out Of Town Girl". I am quite astounded that this didn't make it to the general album. It's catchy, it's interesting and it makes me excited. It's another rap inspired song, or as close to rap as this album gets. But my favourite thing about the whole song is the "yeah yeah yeah" during the chorus. It started off annoying but I now adore it. The title explains what the songs about, and although it's not groundbreaking, it will stick in your head all day. Worst part of the song would be the "all you gotta do is swag". Swag seems to be Justin's favourite word as he also uses it in Boyfriend. However, it's been to overused and although when he recorded it, it might have been a cool word to use, now it's just a bit cringey.This is the kind of song Bieber should be doing, like Timberlake but with his own spin on it. I imagine as he matures, his music will start to sound a lot more like this. 8/10
Fifteen is "She Don't Like The Lights" and as a grammar lover, it sort of kills me to write that. Obviously it is grammatically incorrect, but we shall ignore that for the time being. This song starts with the sound of cameras taking pictures, supposedly meant to be the paparazzi. This is a clever idea, but it does start to get annoying after awhile. It's about a girl Justin is dating who doesn't like the fact he's famous. So, to start off with, it isn't the greatest subject and it's pretty much downhill from there. Justin's vocals are pretty much all that saves this from being a total disaster. He makes himself sound cocky and arrogant and that he thinks he's too good for the girl he's dating. Don't get me wrong, for anyone else, this would be a decent song. But as it's Justin, he could do so much better. I can see why this was only used as a bonus track. 4.5/10
Last, but not least, is track sixteen. The very conspicuously named "Maria". For those who don't know, a little while ago Justin was accused of fathering a baby with a woman called Mariah Yeater. Of course, these rumours were proven to be false but they definitely did some damage to Justin's profile. So he came out with this song. It starts with some real news reports about the incident and then an interview with David Letterman where he denied it all. Then the song starts. He was clearly inspired by MJ's "Billie Jean". Obviously, this isn't as good. But it's a good shot and we hear a different side to Justin. Much feistier and aggressive. This definitely suits the song and his voice sounds good. Out of all the songs, this is probably the most personal and because of that, you are able to empathise with Justin. I think even Bieber haters would hear this and be impressed. 7.5/10
Overall...This is an incredible album. It's the type of album that will not only keep his fan base, but it will also help expand it. Justin still has a long way to go to be seen as a 100% credible artist, people are still out there, putting him down. But if he keeps releasing gems like this, pretty soon, the whole world will become Beliebers. And if I wasn't before, I definitely am now.
Rating for whole album: 8.5/10
So...That's it. My review of Believe...
If you haven't already got it, and you're interested, here's the
iTunes Link so make sure you give it a listen. It'll be worth your while, I promise! Also, if you enjoyed my review, please comment, subscribe and share with your friends. I'll be reviewing another album this week. And if you have any suggestions, please leave me a comment and I'll definitely give it a listen and review it.
Nicola x
