The 27 year-old singer Justin Bieber released his eighth album Justice on March 19, 2021. The album includes 15 songs, including an interlude by Martin Luther King Jr. and some songs that had been released previously, along with new songs.
If it came down to it, I would pick “As I Am,” “Holy,” “Hold On,” “Somebody,” “Loved By You,” “Anyone,” and “Ghost” as my favorite songs of this album. However, I have a lot more favorites.
The third track of the album, “As I Am” features another high rising pop star: Khalid. I’ve always liked Khalid’s music and I was really excited to see that he and Justin Bieber had finally collaborated. I knew that this song would become a favorite of mine as soon as I listened to it. The song describes the process of what it’s like to fall in love, no longer recognizing someone’s flaws and seeing them for who they really are. This song is really upbeat and it’s a perfect song to drive to with your windows down. My favorite lyric of this song is “and when life gets way too hard, I’ll meet you in the stars, you know I will.”
The fifth track of the album, “Holy” features Chance the Rapper and was released as a single in September of 2020. I believe that this song is about his experience of finding God in his relationship in recent years. “Holy” is a love letter to his wife, Hailey Baldwin, describing how God brought them together. Bieber said in an interview that “when I saw her last June, I just forgot how much I loved her and how much I missed her and how much of a positive impact she made on my life. I was like, Holy cow, this is what I’ve been looking for.” This song is so heartfelt and the emotion in his lyrics is so powerful. My favorite lyric by far is “runnin’ to the altar like a track star.”
Another one of my favorite songs from this album is “Hold On.” This song is about never giving up and finding the strength to hold on in the tough times. This song was realized a few days before the album was released and I instantly fell in love with it. It’s a very uplifting song and the lyrics are very empowering. Some of my favorite lyrics are, “I’ll pick up the pieces if you come undone” and, “Heaven is a place not too far away,” basically telling listeners that everything will be okay in the end.
Another personal favorite is “Somebody.” This song elaborates on the importance of having someone in your life to support, defend and love you. This song is super upbeat and the lyrics are very powerful; this song is among my favorites right now. My favorite lyric in this song is the opening line, “every time I wake up next to you, I talk to God, and I’m so damn grateful ’cause you make up for the things I’m not.” I think this lyric is so sweet because it furthers on the theme of the album that Bieber is blessed to have his wife. I also really like the lyric, “it’s okay, it’s okay we all try to pretend that we’re brave,” indicating that it’s okay to be weak sometimes.
Next, “Loved By You” is a powerful song about desiring love. This song features Burna Boy, a Nigerian artist that I had never heard of before listening to this song, but I really like him. Burna Boy incorporates some African beats into the song, which sounds really good with the lyrics. This song speaks of a deep love that has kept Bieber inspired in the notorious times of his life. My favorite lyric of this song and probably one of my favorite lines of this whole album is, “I thought I painted a picture of Heaven but it turns out it’s just your room.”
“Anyone” is one of my favorite songs Bieber has ever written. It is currently my most listened to song of the year. Bieber released this song on January first of this year and it has quickly become a fan favorite. The song is a beautiful romantic tribute to his wife Hailey, saying that if he couldn’t be with her, then he wouldn’t be with anyone. My favorite lyric of this song is, “looking back on my life, you’re the only good I’ve ever done.”
Lastly, “Ghost” is a depressing song about losing someone you love, indicating that you’ll ultimately have to settle for the ghost of that person. I instantly gravitated to this song as someone who has previously lost a loved one when I was younger. This song makes me feel like I’m not alone in the process of overcoming grief and it’s one of my all-time favorite songs. The lyrics in this song are truly amazing. Some of my favorites are, “if I can’t be close to you, I’ll settle for the ghost of you” and “if you can’t be next to me, your memory is ecstasy.”
Some honorable mentions of this album are “Peaches,” “Unstable,” “Off My Face,” “There She Go,” and “Lifetime.”
To wrap it up, I think that Justin Bieber did an excellent job on his eighth studio album. He said in an interview that his goal for this album was “to make music that will provide comfort, to make songs that people can relate to and connect to so they feel less alone.” Personally, I think he did an exceptional job of that.
