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Justin Bieber

Album of the week: Justin Bieber finds 'Purpose'

Patrick Ryan
USA TODAY
Justin Bieber's fourth album, 'Purpose,' is out Friday.

Six months ago, no one could have predicted that Justin Bieber would have one of 2015's best albums.

Yes, you read that right. The bleached-blond, tattooed bad boy — who, just last year, made headlines for landing behind bars rather than singing them — has made his most self-assured, and spiritual, effort yet. Purpose (**** out of four), out Friday, builds on the lush, tropical-house foundation laid by his summertime smashes Where Are Ü Now and What Do You Mean?, and hits the coveted sweet spot of multi-genre appeal. With songs that would feel as at home on R&B, hip-hop and Christian radio as they would on Top 40, Bieber makes music for everybody that, in many ways, feels like it's just for himself.

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Purpose kicks off with the woozy, hypnotic Mark My Words, which sets the tone for the rest of the album as he vows to give it all he's got and "show you more than I could ever say." Bieber keeps his promise as he wades into already-released territory: crooning softly over a towering electronic beat on the vulnerable I'll Show You, before gliding into smooth falsetto for the moombahton-inspired Sorry.

After slowing it down for Ed Sheeran co-write Love Yourself, he shifts into overdrive for a string of massive potential hits, including pulsing come-hither Company, dreamlike Halsey duet The Feeling and the bass-heavy No Sense with rapper Travis Scott (whose last Bieber collaboration, Maria I'm Drunk, is similarly captivating). Oh, and it's near-impossible to not crack a smile during Big Sean's expectantly corny verse on the brooding No Pressure, in which he tosses out references to Yoko Ono, Street Fighter and Empire ("You know I eat the cookie like I'm Lucious").

With 'Purpose,' Bieber delivers more bangers in the vein of his Diplo and Skrillex collaboration, 'Where Are Ü Now,' and No. 1 single 'What Do You Mean?'

But it's the album's second half that's sure to raise the most eyebrows among fans and clickbait mongers, thanks to Bieber's come-to-Jesus balladry. The fact that he's religious isn't surprising: he hinted at it on his digital-only Journals release in 2013 and has spoken about his rekindled spirituality in interviews (taking Billboard to church for a recent cover story and comparing being a Christian to tacos while talking to Complex).

The 21-year-old's introspection is noteworthy, though, as he mulls redemption and forgiveness on the piano-led Life is Worth Living — saying that you can crucify him but "only God can judge me." The album's title track is even more revealing, as Bieber recounts a time that he was at the end of his rope, but God blessed him with purpose, "the best gift that I've ever known." He makes his boldest statement with a spoken outro on the second-to-last track of Purpose's deluxe edition, owning up to his mistakes on All In It and ending with the line: "God is perfect and he never disappoints, so I just get my recognition from Him and give Him my recognition."

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At times, the heavy preaching can feel more like aggressive damage control, as Bieber and his team continually work to rectify his image following bouts of bratty behavior and run-ins with the law in the last few years. But you can't fault a guy for putting out positive messaging in mainstream pop music, no matter how heavy-handed it gets (particularly on Children, the album's only misfire). Plus, Bieber's collaborative muscle and confidence always win out in the end, showing an artist who is completely unafraid to reinvent himself and create the very definition of a comeback album.

Sure, many people will still refuse to listen for the sole reason that it's Bieber, but ultimately, that's just their loss. With Purpose, he proves himself as one of today's most forward-thinking pop stars, and because of that, we're newly converted Beliebers.

Download: Sorry,Company,The Feeling

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