Justin Bieber Takes His Turn At Gospel Music
Does the future of gospel music immediately incite for you the image of Justin Bieber? No? Okay, well Justin has done what probably no one expected him to do by releasing his first-ever gospel EP professing his adoration for Christ and his faith. Released on Easter Sunday, Freedom sees the urban-pop star declare the spiritual influence he has experienced in a way that is mostly accessible and expressive of his unique style. No doubt fans of Justin’s music will enjoy the messages in the more reflective songs, but the offering is a stark and slower contrast to the recently dropped Justice.
The EP includes a total of six tracks. The immediate standouts are: Freedom featuring Beam, Where Do I Fit In (featuring Tori Kelly, Chandler Moore, and Judah Smith), and Afraid to Say (featuring Lauren Walters).
Starting with the title track, Freedom, we get an infectious dancehall riddim courtesy of frequent collaborator, Boi-1da (Drake, Kanye West, Nicki Minaj) and Vinylz (Jeremih, Rihanna, Chris Brown). The track features a verse from BEAM, who is also listed on production and writing credits. This is the most accessible song on the EP, sounding like it could be served to radio more than the other mostly spiritual songs. If you were not paying attention, it is easy to lose yourself in the song’s melody and Justin’s cadence, ultimately missing the message. Freedom delivers a tender message and serves as reminder that reassures the listener that they are saved by God’s grace in lines such as: “Children, you are forgiven (yeah). Ain't nothin' you could do for you to change that” We can rest assured in our faith and that freedom ought to feel good and be celebrated, all in a way that shares a cadence and sound rivaling Drake’s One Dance.
The second track, All She Wrote (featuring Brandon Love and Chandler Moore) is another Boi-1da production that is moody and modern. The track also samples Gerald Levert's It's Your Turn. Justin’s rapping skills are very pronounced in a way that comes across as if he is trying to sound like Drake; a choice that cannot help but feel contrived. Interestingly enough, this very sentiment was shared on Justin’s decision to include interludes of MLK speeches on his recent album—resulting in him catching some heat.
The third track, We're in This Together, has the same rap delivery and lyrical stylings as All She Wrote, but switching out the vibey atmosphere of Boi-1da for production duo, Wallis Lane (Travis Scott, Post Malone).
The fourth track stands out as the most obvious Christian song, with an anthemic chorus that has Justin singing “There’s nobody like you, Jesus”. The song, Where You Go I Follow (featuring Pink Sweat$, Chandler Moore, and Judah Smith) sounds like a Christian adult contemporary hit ready to happen. The polished production by newcomer, Goatsmans, blend beautifully with the acoustic guitar delivered by Moore.
The next track carries another big name, Tori Kelly. In Where Do I Fit In, the song opens with Justin softly tugging at his falsetto. A place that he knows how to control and delivery strongly. Accompanied by Tori’s lush backing vocals, the resulting sound is something fresh from the hands of songwriter and frequent Justin collaborator, PooBear. Who is interestingly missing from this entire project? The lyrics and the delivery of Kelly and Moore really drive home the song’s calming nature with lyrics that reassure the listener that it “will be alright.”
In Afraid to Say, the last song on the EP, Justin doubles down on the overall message: he is urging listeners to question their own flaws and humanity while becoming cognizant of how canceling and judging others leads to the fall of society. Bieber uses the last track to share an exhortation about Jesus being someone we can lean on, who will never leave us, who will never judge us “even on our darkest day.” The stripped-down acoustics and Justin’s emotional delivery are spot on and make this the most poignant track of the bunch.
Overall, Freedom is a cohesive journey demonstrating that Bieber has another side to him that he wants the world to hear. The EP starts in typical Justin fashion, glossy production and rap lyrics about his personal struggles, coming to a final climatic plea for us to see what he is trying to say. There is something here for everyone, even for non-Christians. The movement from different styles of music feels organic in terms of acoustics, stringing each song together masterfully. Although some lyrical and delivery choices could be reconsidered, the EP delivers for Justin in a classic yet contemporary way. Perhaps this marks a fresh start for the singer who is becoming more mature in front of our eyes, it will be interesting to see where Justin goes from here.
