Musical ‘mea culpa’ helps Justin Bieber get back on track

BIEBER. His new album comes in the nick of time to “save” his hard-earned popularity and quickly dissipating credibility.

Justin Bieber knows how to attract attention—sometimes, even without trying: His sixth studio album, “Purpose,” has reportedly been banned in the Middle East because of its cover, which shows the 21-year-old pop sensation shirtless, displaying a tattoo of a crucifix on his chest.

His combustible romance with Selena Gomez is also fodder for speculation, because the pop princess has inspired some of Justin’s record-breaking singles, like “What Do You Mean?”

Another pertinent talking point in social media is “Purpose’s” anticipated mano-a-mano against One Direction’s “Made in the A.M.” on the Billboard 200. It looks like the Beliebers are more active this week than the Directioners because, with 525,000 units sold as of this writing, Justin’s latest collection has taken the lead over  1D’s first album without Zayn Malik,  in the showdown for No. 1 in next week’s  albums chart, with a narrow, 50,000-unit margin!

We knew early on that One Direction had a fan-hooking new album, because the only tweener at home—our 12-year-old niece, Gaea—wouldn’t stop singing their radio-friendly new songs (more about “Made in the A.M.” in another article).

On the other hand, Justin’s “Purpose” goes beyond “Baby’s” bubblegum appeal, and hews closer to the young-adult sentiments of “Journals”—with irresistible hooks, to boot.

With a string of off-putting, LiLo-like (Lindsay Lohan) stunts and self-destructive blunders in the past couple of years, the singer looked like he was a disaster waiting to happen—everybody expected him to implode, even with acclaimed singles that kept him relevant in the eyes (and ears) of pop-music aficionados.

Reckless behavior

“Purpose,” an R&B-fueled musical mea culpa built around alluring, skillfully sung melodies and a foggy mood, comes in the heels of Bieber’s realization that his reckless behavior and shocking antics could derail, not just the global popularity that has made him super-rich, but also the credibility he worked so hard to build up since his cash-strapped heyday as a struggling child prodigy busking in the city streets of Canada.

His voice is a little deeper and isn’t as silky as it was in his early teens, but his Autotune-enhanced melismatic runs brim with catchy confidence—and a lot of heart!

“Mark My Words” is more Weeknd than Bieber, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing—because its slowed-down tempo allows the singer to focus on the lyrics—after all, it is one of a number of songs, the notable two being “What Do You Mean?” and “Sorry,” that chronicle his relationship with ex-girlfriend Selena. The romance may be over—but, not his love for her.

The irresistible “What Do You Mean?,” about his inability to understand Gomez’s own quirks, and “Sorry,” upbeat, EDM-laced house music where he seeks forgiveness for his mistakes, written as much for Selena as it is for his disappointed fans: “You know I try, but I don’t do well with apologies/ I hope I don’t run out of time/ Let me redeem myself tonight/ ‘Cause I need one more shot at second chances!”

In “I’ll Show You,” Justin sings about how much he’s changed. His collaboration with the prolific Ed Sheeran, “Love Yourself,” about another former flame, is as poignant as it is finger-snapping.

His collaborations with Big Sean (“No Pressure”), Travis Scott (the moody “No Sense”) and Halsey (“The Feeling”) are just as easy on the ears.

Positive message

Bieber may sound occasionally mushy in those R&B-heavy cuts, but it’s hard to deny that they’re gorgeously rendered—and as well-intended as the positive message of “Life Is Worth Living.”

Speaking of second chances, the single, “Purpose,” sung as if Bieber were having an honest-to-goodness conversation with a Higher Being, says it all: “Feeling like I’m breathing my last breath/ Feeling like I’m walking my last steps/ Look at all the promises I’ve kept/ I put my all into Your hands/ Here’s my soul to keep!”