On 'Purpose,' Bieber Crafts a Melancholy Dance, Dance, Revolution

Justin Bieber is sorry: To you, to me and to ex-girlfriend, pop star Selena Gomez.

He's so sorry that he even called the latest single, off his new album "Purpose," "Sorry." It's the third taste of new music by the bad boy heartthrob, who has recently gone under a transformation, both sonically and with his public persona.

After two years of childish and bratty public behavior, which made him the butt of several late night jokes and the source of much public disdain, and incidents that landed him in the clinker, Bieber started to reinvent himself earlier this summer. The move to clean up his act, by issuing apologizes on YouTube and in interviews, also came with new music, signaling that the 21-year-old Canadian singer was ready to ditch his teen idol pop star status for a more "authentic" and adult sound.

Naturally, Bieber teamed up with dubstep prince Skrillex and EDM producer Diplo, who formed a new act together in 2013 called Jack U. The duo have been at the forefront of the EDM-pop takeover of the last few years with Skrillex popularizing the hard electronic bass-drops of dubstep and Diplo (who also heads the popular electronic group Major Lazer) producing a number of bangers for top tier artists like Beyonce, M.I.A., Drake, Robyn, Chris Brown, Usher, Iggy Azalea, Bruno Mars and more.

But when working with Bieber, Jack U crafted something more sonically interesting and special than their previous work. Though "Where Are U Now" was released in February, the track didn't gain momentum until summer, peaking at no. 8 on Billiard Hot 100 in July. "Where Are U Now" sounds like nothing else on the radio as Skrillex, Diplo and Bieber broke down nntGTK2Fhb0

"Where Are U Now" was just the tipoff of Bieber's new dance revolution chapter. Aware of the fact he can't make teen pop music for much longer; he set out to aim a more "adult" sound. His follow up to the collaborative chart-topping hit was the summer smasher "What Do You Mean?" - the perfect companion to "Where Are U Now." Both songs sounds like dance tracks from other planets, but "What Do You Mean?" has a swelling tropical tinge and, yes, even synthesized pan flutes. Unsurprisingly, the track skyrocketed on the charts, debuting at no. 1 on Billboard Hot 100.

Bieber's meta narrative came front and center on his latest single, "Sorry," another melancholy dance track (produced by Skrillex and frequent collaborator Blood) that features the singer's worn voice over tropical house beats and distorted vocals. Though on the surface, it sounds like Bieber is apologizing to a woman, possibly an ex (Selena Gomez?), the lyrics also act as an apology to the public:

"Is it too late now to say sorry? / Yeah I know that I let you down / Is it too late to say I'm sorry now?" he sings.

On the rest of "Purpose," Bieber hammers hard at his comeback narrative. He positions himself as a pop star on the road to make good, all the while making interesting dance music and shedding his former bad boy teen idol self. For the most part, it works. The overall melancholy tone of the record is nice and sets itself apart from his contemporary pop stars, like One Direction and the band's new solid, but safe, album, which also dropped on Nov. 13.

"I'll Show You," also produced by Skrillex and Blood, is a soft and vulnerable song about the horrors of celebrity life.

"My life is a movie and everyone's watching / So let's get to the good part and past all the nonsense...Cause life's not easy, I'm not made out of steel / Don't forget that I'm human, don't forget that I'm real / Act like you know me, but you never will / There's one thing that I know for sure," he sings over minimal production that erupts with trap beats.

Unfortunately, the singles and promo-singles from "Purpose" are the best thing on the album as a handful of other tracks aren't as sonically interesting. A number of songs revert back to Bieber's R&B influences and rock tones, which aren't terrible but start to blend together as you make it through the 12-track LP. "Love Yourself," co-written by Ed Sheeran and produced by Top 40s master Benny Blanco, is a surprising compassionate and empowering song that finds Bieber singing about an ex who isn't right for him over acoustic guitar. The three songs featuring other artists (rapper Big Sean on "No Pressure," rapper Travis Scott on "No Sense" and pop singer Halsey on "The Feeling") are all decent but don't push Bieber further with his sound.

"Purpose" may be a bit underwhelming, given the release of strong singles, but it is still a solid record that positions Bieber in a new arena of pop/dance music. Days before his latest effort was released, the singer announced a massive tour; expect more than just tweens to show up. With "Purpose" Bieber set out what he wanted to do since this summer: reach an older audience.