On December 23, Justin Bieber excited anticipating fans (trending a hashtag for the full day) with new releases on three separate Instagram posts, all of them with the caption, “December 24, December 31, January 3 … #2020.” Two of the posts are seen with the words “Tomorrow” in dark-pink against a light-pink textured background, paired with a single black and white portrait of himself.
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However, on December 24, he didn’t release a single as expected, rather a teaser trailer that announced a single, future docu-series or documentary and tour (dates starting early Spring to mid Summer).
The clip features Bieber hanging with himself amongst deserted trails narrated by his commentary. “As humans, we are imperfect,” he begins, suggesting a more personal era in music. His narration seems self-reflective, as he mentions where he is at life and God’s influence (in his highly publicized relationship with religion) on that place.
Alongside this commentary, he previews—what appears to be—three separate songs, one having a seemingly pop-like sound, the other having a hip-hop vibe, while his formally announced song has an R&B feel.
His single, “Yummy” (which will be released January 3), was pleasantly surprising. It seems as if he’s taken a step back from the pop route. In fact, the song gives me “Journals” vibes—which can be arguably considered one of his greatest projects. The chilled instrumental, accessorized with instruments and bass boosted beats, leaves me looking forward to what he has in store for this comeback. I feel as if this project will be in a more mature direction, reflecting the changes in his life such as with his relationship and marriage to Hailey Bieber (formerly Baldwin).
This newly announced era, of course, comes at a clash with Bieber’s ex-girlfriend, Selena Gomez. In fact, Gomez fans even trended the hashtag #JANUARYBelongsToRARE worldwide after he posted the dates a few days prior. This stirred some drama between the two highly anticipated albums. Forbes even suggesting that Bieber’s album would be triple the sales of Gomez’s.
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Being a casual listener, at best, of the both of them, I don’t have too many hard feelings on their albums, nor am I rooting for one over the other. However, as for curiosity, I’m most interested in Bieber’s album. I’ve always been a fan of his relaxed, R&B sound in comparison to his highly popularized pop songs. It’s been some time since he’s released a full project (his last album being 2015’s “Purpose”) and I’m invested in seeing what changes he’s made to his music, alongside his growth.
Featured Image via Instagram
