There are two types of artists in today’s mainstream: those that stay in the spotlight and those that thrive living inside the shadows. Artists that are constantly in the light are those that are looking to capitalize off of their momentum in order to assure that they aren’t left to be a one-hit-wonder. The artists that live in the shadows thrive because their popularity and fanbases have reached such a peak that when they decide to release new music, it isn’t just a release but rather a moment for the industry; these are the Adele’s, Kendrick Lamar’s, Beyoncé’s, and Frank Ocean’s of the world who redefine the year for their genre. Adding onto the list of surprises that have already created a wild introduction for 2020, Justin Bieber returns with the announcement of his fifth studio album followed by the release of his new single “Yummy”.
If this single is hinting at anything, it should be the new personal Justin is attempting to unveil in his next project: not so much the pop sensation Bieber, this is R&Bieber, according to the singer himself. Though after a few listens, “Yummy” does not sound anything more than a love song backed by a cookie-cutter beat that straddles the fence between feel-good and making the cut for a “Kidz Bop” remix. Granted, his lyrics read off like an open letter to his woman that he just cannot get enough of. “Any night, any day, Say the word, on my way” Many can interpret the majority of the song’s references to be towards his wife Hailey, whom he has been remarried to since this past September. Despite the sound or persona that he is looking to go for, the overall sound still is very inspired by the pop records he has constantly been known to churn out. The music video that was released this past weekend is not much of an indication for R&Bieber as it comes off even bubblier than the song itself.
For those that first became fans listening to his early chart-toppers, his single should be received as a ray of sunshine for the legion of Beliebers after his four-year-long absence. Last year in March, Bieber took to Instagram to let his fans know that he had been struggling with a lot and was looking to attack his personal problems “head-on”. The single sounds like it is destined to receive commercial success but hopefully, Bieber's next singles sound a little moodier so we can find a more introspective side of himself addressing his most recent battles.
Back on the scene for the first time in half a decade since the release of Purpose, Justin isn’t wasting any time as he has already announced that his next project is on the way and is rumored to boast features from Post Malone, Travis Scott, and Kehlani along with others. While he has not decided to give a release just yet, fans could be expecting his album to drop sometime in the Spring, considering the fact that his North American tour is expected to kick off in mid-May.
Dates for Justin Bieber's 2020 North American stadium tour below:
05/14/20 Seattle, WA CenturyLink Field
05/17/20 Portland, OR Moda Center
05/19/20 Sacramento, CA Golden1 Center
05/22/20 Santa Clara, CA Levi’s Stadium
05/26/20 San Diego, CA Pechanga Arena San Diego
05/29/20 Pasadena, CA Rose Bowl
06/02/20 Las Vegas, NV T-Mobile Arena
06/05/20 Glendale, AZ State Farm Stadium
06/09/20 Salt Lake City, UT Vivint Smart Home Arena
06/13/20 Denver, CO Empower Field at Mile High
06/16/20 Lincoln, NE Pinnacle Bank Arena
06/19/20 Chicago, IL Soldier Field
06/21/20 Minneapolis, MN Target Center
06/24/20 Milwaukee, WI Milwaukee Summerfest
06/27/20 Arlington, TX AT&T Stadium
06/30/20 New Orleans, LA Smoothie King Center
07/02/20 Houston, TX NRG Stadium
07/06/20 Kansas City, MO Sprint Center
07/08/20 Tulsa, OK BOK Center
07/11/20 Nashville, TN Nissan Stadium
07/13/20 St. Louis, MO Enterprise Center
07/15/20 N. Little Rock, AR Simmons Bank Arena
07/18/20 Atlanta, GA Mercedes Benz Stadium
07/21/20 Miami, FL AmericanAirlines Arena
07/25/20 Tampa, FL Raymond James Stadium
07/27/20 Columbia, SC Colonial Life Arena
07/29/20 Greensboro, NC Greensboro Coliseum
08/01/20 Philadelphia, PA Lincoln Financial Field
08/04/20 Pittsburgh, PA PPG Paints Arena
08/06/20 University Park, PA Bryce Jordan Center
08/08/20 Columbus, OH Ohio Stadium
08/12/20 Louisville, KY KFC Yum! Center
08/14/20 Cleveland, OH First Energy Stadium
08/16/20 Grand Rapids, MI Van Andel Arena
08/18/20 Lexington, KY Rupp Arena
08/21/20 Landover, MD FedEx Field
08/24/20 Buffalo, NY KeyBank Center
08/26/20 Albany, NY Times Union Center
08/29/20 Detroit, MI Ford Field
09/01/20 Ottawa, ON Canadian Tire Centre
09/03/20 Québec City, QC Videotron Centre
09/10/20 Toronto, ON Rogers Centre
09/14/20 Montreal, QC Bell Centre
09/17/20 Foxboro, MA Gillette Stadium
09/26/20 East Rutherford, NJ MetLife Stadium
