Justin Bieber is looking to broaden his appeal beyond his army of young, largely female Beliebers by courting an adult audience. It’s a tricky move — but one that this album pulls off with surprising aplomb.
“I’m getting older so I’m making music I can relate to,” says the singer, chatting after a playback of Believe in London’s Supper Club. “I’ve turned 18. I’m talking about everything that I’m going through — sex and everything, let’s put it right out there!”
Believe signals a progression from the cherub-faced singer’s first two albums, with the material ebbing and flowing between propulsive dance numbers and acoustic ballads. The slow songs are well sung but it is the beats-driven tracks that are most striking. As a vocalist, Bieber is tuneful and sensitive, augmenting his raw talent with all the well-drilled professionalism of a North American pop idol.
He collaborates with an array of rap and R&B stars. One track, All Around The World, is a racing dance number with a funky interlude from rapper Ludacris. Right Here, a duet with fellow Canadian singer Drake, is a polished exercise in crooning.
With 13 tracks in all, the quality tails off slightly. But, if expanding the Bieber brand without compromising his teen appeal is the aim, Believe hits the mark. At one point, he sings: ‘I’ll be your platinum, silver and gold.’ On this evidence, discs of all three hues will soon adorn his mantelpiece.
