The latest and supposedly greatest these days isn’t always exciting in the music world. However, Justin Bieber is back with a new album in extremely dark times for the human race. Is it worth hearing? Let’s jump in and take a listen and see if it is up to scratch.

We begin with 2 Much which is pretty ordinary. The piano here is a bit different, but apart from that, this is the usual contemporary throwaway nonsense that is poorly thought out and written. It’s over before you know it, however.

Next is Deserve You which is actually pretty good. There is a good beat and set of melodies here, and this is quite catchy. A good listen, the Bieb is back. This is no doubt going to be played frequently on the radio and other places over the next year or so. Justin Bieber sings about being inferior to a lover, likely his wife. Good song.

As I Am is a melancholy piece that is really quite good. This is quite a good album to this point, and shows that Justin Bieber still has it. Khalid is guest here, and his appearance is welcome here. A good piece about the same sort of thing that the track before it is about, it is a gentle and reassuring listen.

Off My Face refers to drug use. It has Justin Bieber singing to a computerised acoustic guitar, which is different. This is an awful lyrical statement that is saved by a good melody and singing from Justin. It’s a nice listen, however.

Next is Holy which is a good tune that has some nice arrangements to it. It is quite an uplifting musical listen, and just is good to hear. Chance The Rapper is here as well, and his appearance is okay, but one cannot help but feel that it would been better without his appearance. It’s a Christian sort of song, and is quite short.

Following is Unstable which has Justin Bieber discussing troubled emotions and singing wonderfully. The guest this time is The Kid LAROI which makes this an interesting listen. Short, however.

MLK Interlude does sample Martin Luther King Jr. and is actually a good sample of him talking. Little else is needed to be said here, but it makes perfect sense to the listener.

Die For You is awful. Really awful. It drags the rest of the album down, which itself is quite good apart from this song. There are some interesting production techniques but apart from that, awful and worth skipping. Dominic Fike’s appearance merely says this song is not well thought out. Terrible.

Following is Hold On starts off with a good bit of singing from Justin Bieber, before going into an okay pop song. It’s okay, but the quality of songs on this album varies widely. In short, this album, although a good product, is not a great product. This song reflects that.

Next is Somebody which is a good song with some good lyrics on it. It talks about the dystopian feel of 21st century life. Justin Bieber sings really well on these songs, even if some of this music here is fairly naff. Good to hear anyway.

Ghost comes next, and has some interesting beats and piano to begin with. It has some real acoustic guitars in the chorus, and is a really sad lyrical piece as JB sings about missing someone more than life. It’s a sad reflection on the past, but is an understandable emotional piece in that respect.

Peaches is an awkward fusion of Rap and Justin Bieber. It’s not a great song for that reason, and the two guests (Daniel Caesar and Giveon) reflect that. Nothing great about this tune, it sounds totally pretentious. Ordinary and borderline laughable, this is not the best. The textures in the outro are really good though.

Next is Love You Different is another love song. It’s okay but nothing special at this point. Pretty meh musically, this is another unadventurous pop piece that will fall flat in the long run. Good, but pretty meh. BEAM’s appearance is not needed here, either.

Following is Loved By You is more of the same as before. This music is not going to last for more than one year in a long term sense. Burna Boy’s appearance confirms that, and although Justin Bieber seems to be looking for meaning in life, his music lacks that. Fairly forgettable.

Anyone begins with some interesting electronic textures, and Justin Bieber’s great singing. The song itself discusses the concept of love itself. A decent song towards the end of this album, this sounds actually quite good. Nice to hear.

Lonely is the last song here on this album, which features benny blanco. It’s a depressing musical listen, and really isn’t nice to hear at the end of this mixed bag of an album. Some profanities are here, which honestly aren’t very good for this song. We end the album here.

This is obviously likely to be a very popular album and will generate a load of streams globally. Still, it is not good quality music that is up to scratch. Sure, it’s top of the pops but should also be really good music. Which it isn’t. Justin Bieber needs to rethink his music somewhat.

Good, but not great.

7/10