Justin Bieber, the teen heart-throb, turned bad boy, turned devout Christian, released an album called “Justice” on March 19th. Over the years we’ve seen quite a few versions of the pop star, feeding off of the original ideas and content of other artists and trends in order to maintain his popularity. Bieber’s pleasant voice and mediocre looks seem to replace his substance and individuality as a musician, and nothing about his newest release suggests a different image. 

The album already has two songs (“Peaches” and “Lonely”) going viral on the social media app Tik Tok and the album has received millions of streams already. While they aren’t bad songs, they aren’t great either.  True to the pop genre, each song sounds like I’ve heard it, loved it, and moved on. We wouldn’t be hard-pressed to find where the inspiration for “Justice” came from. He and his team, including artists with more authenticity and talent like Benny Blanco and Jon Bellion, clearly didn’t feel that originality fit Bieber’s brand, as the lyrics are equally repetitive. Not to mention the theme of this album, which is also an issue. It’s definitely pop music, but I’m convinced that the only thing Justin Bieber excels at these days is appropriation and following old trends.

“Justice,” as the name might suggest, references the ongoing struggle for justice for those affected by police brutality. Upon reading the title, It seemed evident that Bieber, who is heavily influenced by Black people, Black musicians, and Black culture, was trying to make a statement about Black people’s fight for justice against police brutality that has gained momentum after the murder of George Floyd. However, the Canadian star doesn’t have a single song about anything other than love and himself. He does include an interlude of a Martin Luther King, Jr. speech, as well as a sample of his famous quote “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere” on his song “Too Much,”  dedicated to his wife, Hailey. Just like the rest of the album, the song has nothing to do with justice or injustice but is yet another generic love song.  Bieber’s small references to social justice on his album “Justice” are tacked onto 16 cheesy and unmemorable songs. More importantly, they’re a pathetic way to piggyback off of the popular movement without contributing anything and were still the only part of the release that I would willingly listen to again.