Justin Bieber is a new man. Recently sober, recently married and now, recently just a bit shit. Changes sees Bieber embrace R&B sounds, shedding some of the mainstream pop he has become so known for. But see, this album doesn’t really take you on any journey. His Lyme disease diagnosis was more interesting than this. The whole thing seems to want to be a sexy album, but it just isn’t sexy. It’s actually really irritating. Itchy, like Lyme disease. Take the lead single Yummy. This is supposed to be Bieber professing his desire – but instead, it’s just him repeating “Yum’ and ‘Yummy’. I won’t bore you with details of the other songs on Changes but if you listen to any of them – you’ve heard them all. Like a Cascada album, there is zero variation. There unfortunately isn’t anything particularly exciting, or arousing, about this album.
With that being said, audiences aren’t super keen on Changes either.The Changes tour was recently downsized from large capacity stadiums to smaller capacity arenas – the reason? “Coronavirus” apparently. Bieber’s last tour, The Purpose Tour, sold out arenas across the world. Though Bieber’s lackluster performance on that tour seems to not be forgotten just yet. Whilst Bieber is a global star, time will tell whether this is simply an unfortunate blip in an otherwise successful career or if this is simply new album, new Bieber, and the end of an era.
3.5/10 – It’s just a bit shit, ya know?