The year is 2013. Miley Cyrus is twerking at the VMAs, we finally learned what foxes say, and Justin Bieber is undergoing a metamorphosis. Gone are the days of that bushy eyed, purple jacket, good boy Bieber and in comes Lightskin Bieber (‘Bizzle’, if you will).

From peeing in a bucket and buying a monkey, to claiming that Anne Frank would’ve been a Belieber and allegedly retiring, 2013 was a year of controversy and erratic behavior for our favorite pop star. The remarkable year was capped off by Bieber’s early Christmas present, his “not an album” album, Journals. It was only released digitally on December 23rd as a “compilation album” which witnessed Bieber shed the pop image and fully venture into the world of R&B, collaboratinging with big names from Lil Wayne to Chance the Rapper.

Due to the controversy surrounding the ‘Bizzle’ era and the label’s refusal to promote it due to disagreements about the sound, Journals underperformed in the charts and were met with lukewarm reviews. Even so, it became a cult classic with many fans heralding it as his best and most honest work, and I would have to agree.

The album opens with Heartbreaker where Bieber bares his heart to a lover who seemingly wants nothing to do with him and his vocals tell the story of desperation. From the first track, we can tell that he has matured, not just literally in his vocals as he sounds much older, but also musically as he slows down and scales back some of the electronic elements from the previous albums. Similar things are seen on Flatline, the closing track, where he once again begs for forgiveness, ultimately highlighting patterns in behavior that signal that we are seeing a more mature side of the singer.

This isn’t to say that no fun is had along the way, however; Bieber still provides plenty of lighter songs. What’s Hatnin’ is the perfect song to demonstrate this. It opens with a strange-sounding upbeat synth that carries us through JB and Future trying to reconcile with their partners. The lyrics aren’t overly complex, it sounds a little weird, but when the beat drops, it’s impossible to stop from bobbing your head. On Confident, which is arguably the most popular song from the album, Bieber leans into rap, getting a feature from Chance the Rapper which I can still recite word-for-word. In Swap It Out we see more lighthearted fun which to me mirrors Right Here from Believe.

Ultimately, there are many things that draw me to the album. First is the vocals as I truly believe that this is the album that cements Bieber as one of the best vocalists of our generation. The second is the album’s exploration and expansion of discography. Artists who grow up in the public eye have to undergo an awkward transition from child to adult. Harry Styles did it, Miley Cyrus did it, and Bieber was going to have to do it eventually. Not only does he confront this transition but he does so in a way that pays homage to the music he had listened to growing up. Bieber had long highlighted his love for R&B, even singing primarily R&B covers when he was discovered on YouTube, but fans had yet to see the full extent of this love. On this album though, he goes back to his roots taking influence from what he loved growing up and creating something fresh, even if it meant ruffling some feathers at the label. To me, the mark of a true artist is willing to step out of their comfort zone and make something that is authentic and means something to them, and that’s exactly what was done on this album. 

But above all, it’s fun. The album is a perfect time capsule, somehow perfectly capturing the energy of 2013 while also getting better every time I listen to it. Listening to this album takes me back to a simpler time when Bieber Fever ran rampant. While this may not be the most groundbreaking album of all time, I think it highlights one of the most important parts of art, which is to be enjoyable, and by all standards, this is a fun album.

So yes, I will continue to stream Journals and occasionally make boisterous claims that it is the best album ever. And while I’m not encouraging reckless and criminal behavior, if it leads to albums like this, I might be able to overlook it.

On this blog, members of the Carmel High School chapter of the Quill and Scroll International Honorary Society for High School Journalists (and the occasional guest writer) produce curations of all facets of popular culture, from TV shows to music to novels to technology. We hope our readers always leave with something new to muse over. Click here to read more from the MUSE Winter Collection.