Justin Bieber’s ironically titled album, Changes, sounds like one long, mediocre pop song. The 17-track album has very little range; almost every song sounds similar to each other; save for the rare few towards the end that remind you that you were in fact listening to more than one song. Released on Valentine’s Day, Changes serves as one long love letter to Bieber’s wife, Hailey. Though Bieber had the perfect opportunity to make single people feel even more single, all he accomplished was 51 minutes of lackluster musicianship.  

The album opens with “All Around Me,” where Bieber expresses his unconditional love for Hailey through simple beats and ear-pinching high notes. Bieber displays surprise over his commitment to his wife, singing the lyric, “Never thought I could ever be loyal / To someone other than myself,” which is sweet, I guess? The song closes with a cooing baby, leaving fans questioning if this is a hint to a future Bieber-baby. Overall, this track serves as an adequate warm-up to the rest of the album, because the next several songs sound pretty much the same. 

“Habitual” could be vastly improved with a slower tempo; in fact, it could work well as a ballad or an acoustic song, which works best with Bieber’s vocals. “Come Around Me” has a quicker, slightly catchier tune, with unmemorable beats and sexual innuendos like “Who taught you how to drive stick?” and “When I rise up / Baby don’t shy up.” The track title itself is pretty suggestive already, yet I could see it as a potential single. 

“Intentions” feat. Quavo is the catchiest song thus far and could easily be a summer radio hit. Bieber praises his wife’s natural beauty with the lyric, “Picture-perfect, you don’t need no filter.” Had this been the first single, perhaps it would’ve hit number-one organically. On the other hand, “Yummy,” the single Bieber infamously shoved down our throats, follows the basic formulaic pop song: superficial lyrics, repetitive chorus, and is just catchy enough to get stuck in our heads but not good enough to actually enjoy it. 

“Available” has the common hip-hop/RnB beat that adds to the catchiness of the song, and “Forever” feat. Post Malone and Cleveland has a tune that’s reminiscent of an iPhone ringtone. There is so much creative potential having these two rappers make this track more interesting, but unfortunately they missed this opportunity. “Running Over” feat. Lil Dicky contains one of my favorite lyrics of the entire album: “More buns than a ShopRite,” and “Take It Out On Me” could have easily been produced with an early 2000s RnB sound, but again, Bieber missed out on this prospect by using lazy beats and his usual melody. 

Just like“Forever,” “Second Emotion” could have definitely benefited from the Travis Scott feature and perhaps switched up the sound a bit, but unfortunately his feature is very brief and forgettable. Unlike in “Get Me,” where Kehlani’s female vocals offer a stark contrast to the majority male vocals we have been listening to so far, adding a slightly exciting element to the song. 

“ETA” finally features a somewhat different sound with a guitar strumming behind the usual RnB beats. It also shows off Bieber’s vocal range better than the other songs. “Changes” offers an emotional glimpse into Bieber’s mental health struggles and the album could vastly improve if more songs carried this theme. This track’s sole instrumentation is the acoustic guitar, showcasing a more laid-back, earnest feel. 

“Confirmation” cherishes Bieber’s lifelong commitment to Hailey with the lyric, “We got the rest of our lives.” This track features a subtle piano behind ringtone-beats and snapping fingers. Bieber’s high notes sound more effortless and light. “That’s What Love Is” features a beautifully strummed acoustic guitar, serving as the only form of instrumentation of the song. Bieber’s vocals are the strongest here, and this may be one of the best songs of the album. 

“At Least For Now” is also one of the stronger songs, as it shows some semblance of honesty on Bieber’s end with the lyric, “At least for now / Trying to avoid disappointment.” Finally, Summer Walker’s remix of “Yummy” wasn’t much of a remix at all so much as a last-minute addition of a Summer Walker feature, which was a disappointment because I hoped this “remix” would’ve been an improvement to the original version. 

Overall, Bieber missed his mark in delivering a memorable comeback album. Nothing was exceptionally good, nothing was terribly bad (except for “Yummy,” good lord). After five years since Purpose, which is arguably one of Bieber’s best albums, Changes sorely disappointed.