There has always been teenybopper pop. Growing up in the days of Dreamstreet, it makes sense that I have a special spot in my heart for the tunes of the newest pre-teen dream, Justin Bieber. But that spot is small – and is decreasing in size after checking out his newest album, “My World 2.0.”
The thing that separates Bieber from the competition of years past, is that generally there are at least three tracks on a teenybopper pop CD that have extreme playability. For instance, take Hanson’s “Mmm Bop.” A pure classic. Compare “Mmm Bop” to Bieber’s current single “Baby,” and the average person would think that perhaps the rest of the album had some potential.
Well, it doesn’t.
Granted, Bieber is writing for his target audience of pre-teens, but the lyrics have little to no weight. Bieber kicks off the album with “Baby,” which has a sort of doo-wop blend that is admittingly catchy. Probably the strongest track on the album, he takes this older feel and combines it with contemporary hip-hop with the addition of Ludacris rap.
In terms of other strengths on the album, and there aren’t many – I’m prone to “Stuck In The Moment,” because of its unique beat and catchy hook.
But take a look at the lyrical downfall exemplified by “Eenie Meenie,” and it’s easy to see why the album has more shortcomings then successes. Bieber sings: “Can’t make up your mind/ Please don’t waste my time/ Not tryin’ to rewind/ I wish our hearts could come together as one/ Cause shorty is a eenie meenie miney mo lova.” Really? But don’t worry, it only gets worse. On “U Smile,” Bieber continuously sings “You smile/ I smile,” so many times I lost track.
Bieber takes his album to the disco with “Somebody to Love,” but it becomes apparent rather quickly that he’s simply repeating the same words – over, and over, and over again.
On “Overboard” teenyboppers unite. Bieber teams up with 14-year-old Jessica Jarrell. A valiant effort, but the duo fails. At his young age, it’s hard to tell Bieber apart from Jarrell and the slower track doesn’t contribute anything to the album besides a female touch.
Kudos to Bieber, at least you tried. For a young Canadian who was discovered via YouTube, you’ve done alright for yourself. Three stars for effort, better luck next time.
I’m not sure WHY we would want to compare Hanson with Bieber…but in any event…it’s a good mention 😉
–Jessica
Justin Bieber has tried so hard to get where he is right now, and it has paid off. Not many 16 year old teens are given this opportunity – and Justin
has proven he has real talent. He can sing & dance.
Could you perform in front of thousands of screaming fans, or perform for US president Barack Obama? I think not.
Thank you for your comment, however I only posted this article here because it mentioned Hanson, the focus of my blog. I did not write it and the views in the article aren’t necessarily my views towards Justin Bieber.