Justice (Justin Bieber Album)
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''Justice'' is the sixth
studio album An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track cartridge, 8-track or Cassette tape, cassette), or digital distribution, dig ...
by Canadian singer
Justin Bieber Justin Drew Bieber ( ; born March 1, 1994) is a Canadian singer. Regarded as a pop icon, he is recognized for his multi-genre musical performances. He was discovered by record executive Scooter Braun in 2008 and subsequently brought to the U ...
. It was released on March 19, 2021, by
Def Jam Recordings Def Jam Recordings (also simply known as Def Jam) is an American multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It is based in Manhattan, New York City, specializing predominantly in hip hop, contemporary R&B, soul and pop. The l ...
. The album features guest appearances from Khalid,
Chance the Rapper Chancelor Johnathan Bennett (born April 16, 1993), known professionally as Chance the Rapper, is an American rapper. Born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, he released his debut mixtape '' 10 Day'' (2012) during one of his high school suspension ...
,
the Kid Laroi Charlton Kenneth Jeffrey Howard (born 17 August 2003), known professionally as the Kid Laroi (stylized as The Kid LAROI), is an Australian rapper, singer and songwriter. He was first discovered by Triple J Unearthed in 2016 at the age of 13. As ...
, Dominic Fike, Daniel Caesar, Giveon, Beam, Burna Boy, and
Benny Blanco Benjamin Joseph Levin (born March 8, 1988), known professionally as Benny Blanco (stylized in all lowercase), is an American record producer and songwriter. He is the recipient of the 2013 Hal David Starlight Award from the Songwriters Hall ...
. The "Triple Chucks" deluxe edition of the album was released on March 26, 2021, exactly a week after the standard version. It features additional guest appearances from
Lil Uzi Vert Symere Bysil Woods ( ; born July 31, 1995), known professionally as Lil Uzi Vert, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. Born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, they gained initial recognition following the release of the commer ...
, Jaden, Quavo,
DaBaby Jonathan Lyndale Kirk (born December 22, 1991), known professionally as DaBaby (formerly Baby Jesus), is an American rapper. After releasing several mixtapes between 2014 and 2018, he signed with Interscope Records in January 2019 in a joint ...
, and
Tori Kelly Victoria Loren Kelly (born December 14, 1992) is an American singer-songwriter. She first gained recognition on YouTube before making it through to Hollywood week on the ninth season of ''American Idol'' in 2010 and eventually releasing her debu ...
. The complete edition was released on October 8, 2021, and includes the tracks on store versions of the album that did not make the regular album. It features additional guest appearances from TroyBoi and
Poo Bear Jason Paul Douglas Boyd, known professionally as Poo Bear, is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is best known for his songwriting work for Canadian singer Justin Bieber, having been credited on each of his albums since hi ...
. The album includes production from Benny Blanco himself,
Virtual Riot Christian Valentin Brunn (Born 20 July 1994), better known by his stage name Virtual Riot, is a German electronic music producer and DJ. He has released seventeen extended plays and two studio albums, most notably his 2016 extended play ''Chemis ...
, Andrew Watt,
Skrillex Sonny John Moore (born January 15, 1988), known professionally as Skrillex, is an American DJ, record producer, musician, singer. Raised in Northeast Los Angeles and Northern California, he began his career in 2004 as the lead vocalist of the ...
, Finneas,
Jon Bellion Jonathan David Bellion (born December 26, 1990) is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, and record producer. He was born and raised in Lake Grove, New York on Long Island. He is best known for his 2016 single "All Time Low," which peaked at ...
, the Monsters & Strangerz, and numerous others. It serves as the follow-up to Bieber's previous album, ''
Changes Changes may refer to: Books * '' Changes: A Love Story'', 1991 novel by Ama Ata Aidoo * ''Changes'' (The Dresden Files) (2010), the 12th novel in Jim Butcher's ''The Dresden Files'' Series * ''Changes'', a 1983 novel by Danielle Steel * ''Chan ...
'' (2020). ''Justice'' is a pop, R&B, and
dream pop Dream pop (also typeset as dreampop) is a subgenre of alternative rock and neo-psychedelia that emphasizes atmosphere and sonic texture as much as pop melody. Common characteristics include breathy vocals, dense productions, and effects such ...
album. The album was supported by six singles, including the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 number-one "
Peaches The peach (''Prunus persica'') is a deciduous tree first domesticated and cultivated in China. It bears edible juicy fruits with various characteristics, most called peaches and the glossy-skinned, non-fuzzy varieties called nectarines. Peac ...
" and the top-ten singles: "
Holy Sacred describes something that is dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of a deity; is considered worthy of spiritual respect or devotion; or inspires awe or reverence among believers. The property is often ascribed to objects (a ...
", "
Anyone Anyone may refer to: * Anyone (band), a band from Southern California formed in 1995 * "Anyone" (Roxette song), a 1999 song by Roxette * "Anyone" (Demi Lovato song), a 2020 song by Demi Lovato * "Anyone" (Justin Bieber song), a 2021 song by Ju ...
" and "
Ghost In folklore, a ghost is the soul or Spirit (supernatural entity), spirit of a dead Human, person or non-human animal that is believed by some people to be able to appear to the living. In ghostlore, descriptions of ghosts vary widely, from a ...
". "Holy", which features Chance the Rapper, was released as the lead single on September 18, 2020. " Lonely", which is a joint track alongside Benny Blanco, was released as the second single on October 16, 2020. "Anyone" was released as the third single on January 1, 2021. " Hold On", was released as the fourth single on March 5, 2021. "Peaches", which features Daniel Caesar and Giveon, was released as the fifth single with the album on March 19, 2021. "Ghost" was released as the sixth single on September 10, 2021. ''Justice'' debuted atop the charts of ten countries, including the US ''Billboard'' 200 and the
Canadian Albums Chart The ''Billboard'' Canadian Albums is the official record chart A record chart, in the music industry, also called a music chart, is a ranking of Sound recording and reproduction, recorded music according to certain criteria during a given ...
. The fifth single "Peaches" simultaneously debuted atop the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and the
Canadian Hot 100 The Canadian Hot 100 is a music industry record chart in Canada for songs, published weekly by ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'' magazine. It was launched on the issue dated March 31, 2007 as the standard record chart in Canada; a new chart ...
. In the United States, the peak of the album marked Bieber's eighth chart-topper, and made him the youngest solo artist to achieve as many number-one albums at 27 years old. ''Justice'' and "Peaches" both held the number-one spots on the respective charts simultaneously in the same week, making Bieber the first solo male artist and the third act overall to achieve this feat. The album is certified double-platinum by the
Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
(RIAA). Upon release, the album received generally favourable reviews from music critics, most of whom complimented its production and vocal delivery, but deprecated its lyrics and "confusing" concept surrounding
justice In its broadest sense, justice is the idea that individuals should be treated fairly. According to the ''Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy'', the most plausible candidate for a core definition comes from the ''Institutes (Justinian), Inst ...
. The album contains elements of
pop rock Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre and form of rock music characterized by a strong commercial appeal, with more emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than standard rock musi ...
,
synth-pop Synth-pop (short for synthesizer pop; also called techno-pop; ) is a music genre that first became prominent in the late 1970s and features the synthesizer as the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s b ...
, and new wave. Bieber promoted the album with live performances on various television shows, such as ''
Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (''SNL'') is an American Late night television in the United States, late-night live television, live sketch comedy variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Michaels and Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC. The ...
'', '' The Voice'', ''
The Late Late Show with James Corden ''The Late Late Show with James Corden'' (also known simply as ''Late Late'') is an American late-night talk show that aired on CBS from 2015 to 2023. It is the fourth and final iteration of '' The Late Late Show'', and aired in the United Sta ...
'', and ''
Good Morning America ''Good Morning America'', often abbreviated as ''GMA'', is an American breakfast television, morning television program that is broadcast on American Broadcasting Company, ABC. It debuted on November 3, 1975, and first expanded to weekends wit ...
''. To support ''Justice'' and ''Changes'', Bieber embarked on his fourth concert tour, titled Justice World Tour, across North America, Europe, and South America, in 2022. At the 64th Grammy Awards, the album and its singles received a total of eight nominations including
Album An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track cartridge, 8-track or Cassette tape, cassette), or digital distribution, dig ...
,
Song A song is a musical composition performed by the human voice. The voice often carries the melody (a series of distinct and fixed pitches) using patterns of sound and silence. Songs have a structure, such as the common ABA form, and are usu ...
and
Record of the Year The Grammy Award for Record of the Year is presented by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to "honor artistic achievement, technical proficiency and overall excellence in the recording industry, without re ...
; the latter two for "Peaches".


Background

After releasing his fifth studio album, ''
Changes Changes may refer to: Books * '' Changes: A Love Story'', 1991 novel by Ama Ata Aidoo * ''Changes'' (The Dresden Files) (2010), the 12th novel in Jim Butcher's ''The Dresden Files'' Series * ''Changes'', a 1983 novel by Danielle Steel * ''Chan ...
'' (2020), Bieber was interviewed by
Apple Music Apple Music is an audio and video streaming service developed by Apple Inc. Users can select music to stream to their device on-demand, or listen to existing playlists. The service also includes the sister internet radio stations Apple Musi ...
DJ
Zane Lowe Alexander Zane Reed Lowe (born 1973) is a New Zealand radio DJ, live DJ, record producer, and television presenter. After an early career in music creation, production and DJing, he moved to the UK in 1997. He came to prominence through pr ...
. Bieber said he was looking forward to making music that would reflect the things that he had learned about commitment and building trust. On February 26, 2021, when Bieber announced the album, he stated: "There's so much deeper levels I'm excited to go to, which is fun. It gives me something to look forward to". Before the release of lead single "
Holy Sacred describes something that is dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of a deity; is considered worthy of spiritual respect or devotion; or inspires awe or reverence among believers. The property is often ascribed to objects (a ...
", on September 18, 2020, Bieber and featured artist
Chance the Rapper Chancelor Johnathan Bennett (born April 16, 1993), known professionally as Chance the Rapper, is an American rapper. Born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, he released his debut mixtape '' 10 Day'' (2012) during one of his high school suspension ...
discussed Bieber's follow-up to ''Changes'' on a
YouTube YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...
livestream, in which Chance said that it reminded him of
Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Michael Jackson, one of the most culturally significan ...
's fifth studio album, '' Off the Wall'' (1979), and said that the album is "some of the best music I've ever heard" and that it is "groundbreaking music".


Recording

Early in the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
, when the singer was in quarantine at his house in Toronto, Bieber was sent a plethora of demos submitted to his management team by songwriters, managers, publishers and producers. Bieber recorded the songs he liked in his home studio and sent them back to his inner circle. Bieber revealed on April 10, 2020, during an Instagram Live that he had recorded a song called "Anyone", which would later be released as the album's third single. On April 18, 2020, on
Instagram Stories Instagram is an American photo sharing, photo and Short-form content, short-form video sharing social networking service owned by Meta Platforms. It allows users to upload media that can be edited with Social media camera filter, filters, be ...
, Bieber remarked his new album was sounding "crazy-good" in his opinion. The recording of ''Justice'' intensified once Bieber got back to Los Angeles a couple of months later. While his latest record ''Changes'' was R&B oriented, for this record nothing was off limits. While hanging out at Andrew Watt's house with
Shawn Mendes Shawn Peter Raul Mendes ( , ; born August 8, 1998) is a Canadian singer. He gained a following in 2013 when he posted song covers on the video-sharing platform Vine (software), Vine. The following year, he caught the attention of artist manage ...
, Bieber started to write the hook of the song "
Peaches The peach (''Prunus persica'') is a deciduous tree first domesticated and cultivated in China. It bears edible juicy fruits with various characteristics, most called peaches and the glossy-skinned, non-fuzzy varieties called nectarines. Peac ...
". Watt showed Bieber around his home studio and said to him to "go play the drums" and after having recorded a drum beat, Bieber sat down at the piano and played some chords which they also recorded and looped. Then Watt recorded some bass and guitar and Bieber started free-styling and "just talking words back and forth for fun". After this session, Bieber asked Watt to send him the demo so he could work on it some more by himself. Bieber posted a snippet of the song on his
Instagram Instagram is an American photo sharing, photo and Short-form content, short-form video sharing social networking service owned by Meta Platforms. It allows users to upload media that can be edited with Social media camera filter, filters, be ...
account on September 7, 202

Record producer Shndo later listened to it and decided to further produce the song. He screen-recorded the Instagram video, recorded some drums over it in the music software
Ableton Ableton AG is a German music software company that produces and distributes the production and performance program Ableton Live and a collection of related instruments and sample libraries, as well as their own hardware controller Ableton Push. ...
and decided to speed up the song. Shndo collaborated with music producer Harv, who added some more instruments to the song. They presented the song to Bieber who loved it and later re-recorded the hook and wrote a verse before sending it back to them to work on it some more. On the same day, Bieber contacted Giveon who accepted to be a part of the song while Daniel Caesar was later also asked to be a part of the track. Initially, Bieber's team was not planning on releasing an album so soon and Bieber realised that they had an album's worth of material in December 2020. On January 22, 2021, Bieber shared an update on the new album on Instagram Stories. He wrote: "Finishing this album. Stay tuned." He also shared a picture of him singing in the studio. On January 26, 2021, Bieber wrote on
Twitter Twitter, officially known as X since 2023, is an American microblogging and social networking service. It is one of the world's largest social media platforms and one of the most-visited websites. Users can share short text messages, image ...
that he was going over the track listing for the album.


Songs

Craig Jenkins from ''Vulture'' noted that "the album zips through
synth-pop Synth-pop (short for synthesizer pop; also called techno-pop; ) is a music genre that first became prominent in the late 1970s and features the synthesizer as the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s b ...
, Soulection-esque
funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African-American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African-Americans in the ...
,
dancehall Dancehall is a genre of Jamaican popular music that originated in the late 1970s. Initially, dancehall was a more sparse version of reggae than the roots reggae, roots style, which had dominated much of the 1970s.Barrow, Steve & Dalton, Peter (2 ...
-tinged
electronic dance music Electronic dance music (EDM), also referred to as dance music or club music, is a broad range of percussive electronic music genres originally made for nightclubs, raves, and List of electronic dance music festivals, festivals. It is generally ...
, and
rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wale ...
-infused
Afrobeats Afrobeats, not to be confused with Afrobeat or Afroswing, is an umbrella term to describe popular music from West Africa and the diaspora that initially developed in Ghana, Nigeria, and the UK in the 2000s and 2010s. Afrobeats is less of a st ...
". According to
AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
, "Justice is a decent addition to Bieber's catalog. It's distinguished by a variety of pop modes that includes vaporous Synth-rock and strumming acoustic ballads,
Hip hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hip- ...
Gospel Gospel originally meant the Christianity, Christian message ("the gospel"), but in the second century Anno domino, AD the term (, from which the English word originated as a calque) came to be used also for the books in which the message w ...
and bedroom EDM, and sun-dazed R&B and contemporary
Afrobeat Afrobeat (also known as Afrofunk) is a West African music genre, fusing influences from Nigerian (such as Yoruba) and Ghanaian (such as highlife) music, with American funk, jazz, and soul influences. With a focus on chanted vocals, complex i ...
." After Bieber ventured into a more R&B-oriented sound for ''Changes'', ''Justice'' sees him return to his pop roots. ''Justice'' starts with the minimal
dream pop Dream pop (also typeset as dreampop) is a subgenre of alternative rock and neo-psychedelia that emphasizes atmosphere and sonic texture as much as pop melody. Common characteristics include breathy vocals, dense productions, and effects such ...
track "2 Much" which contains Bieber's favourite line: "I don't wanna fall asleep, I'd rather fall in love". The second track, "Deserve You", has been described by ''Billboard'' and Bieber himself as a song that sounds like
Phil Collins Philip David Charles Collins (born 30 January 1951) is an English musician, songwriter, record producer and actor. He was the drummer and later became the lead singer of the rock band Genesis (band), Genesis and had a successful solo career, ac ...
' work, and "striking 1980s power-ballad gold"
funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African-American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African-Americans in the ...
and
disco Disco is a music genre, genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the late 1960s from the United States' urban nightclub, nightlife, particularly in African Americans, African-American, Italian-Americans, Italian-American, LGBTQ ...
. "Off My Face" has been described as an acoustic ode to love which is stylistically comparable to his 2015 song " Love Yourself". The song includes soft-rock stylings and drunk-in-love double entendres. "Holy" was described as a "
gospel Gospel originally meant the Christianity, Christian message ("the gospel"), but in the second century Anno domino, AD the term (, from which the English word originated as a calque) came to be used also for the books in which the message w ...
-brunch rave-up". "Unstable" combines elements of piano ballads and 2000s
country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. When referring to a specific polity, the term "country" may refer to a sovereign state, state with limited recognition, constituent country, ...
songs. The eighth track, "Die for You" featuring Dominic Fike, is an "
MTV MTV (an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on ...
-friendly" new wave,
funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African-American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African-Americans in the ...
,
dance-pop Dance-pop is a Music genre, genre of electronic dance music that originated in the late 1970s to early 1980s. It is generally uptempo music intended for nightclubs with the intention of being danceable but also suitable for contemporary hit ra ...
,
dream pop Dream pop (also typeset as dreampop) is a subgenre of alternative rock and neo-psychedelia that emphasizes atmosphere and sonic texture as much as pop melody. Common characteristics include breathy vocals, dense productions, and effects such ...
,
glam rock Glam rock is a style of rock music that developed in the United Kingdom in the early 1970s and was primarily defined by the flamboyant clothing, makeup, and hairstyles of its musicians, particularly platform shoes and glitter. Glam artists d ...
and
disco Disco is a music genre, genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the late 1960s from the United States' urban nightclub, nightlife, particularly in African Americans, African-American, Italian-Americans, Italian-American, LGBTQ ...
song. And ventures into
pop-rock Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre and form of rock music characterized by a strong commercial appeal, with more emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than standard rock musi ...
territory, a completely novel mode for Bieber. "Hold On" is a
synth-pop Synth-pop (short for synthesizer pop; also called techno-pop; ) is a music genre that first became prominent in the late 1970s and features the synthesizer as the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s b ...
song that was compared to
Kim Carnes Kim Carnes (; born July 20, 1945) is an American singer and songwriter born and raised in Los Angeles, California, Los Angeles. A veteran writer of many of her own hits, as well as those for numerous other artists, she began her career in 1966 as ...
' "
Bette Davis Eyes "Bette Davis Eyes" is a song written and composed by Donna Weiss and Jackie DeShannon in 1974. It was recorded by DeShannon that year but made popular by Kim Carnes in 1981 when it spent nine non-consecutive weeks at the top of the U.S. Billboard ...
". Also “Hold On” and “Somebody” revisit new wave’s metamorphosis into sophisticated adult contemporary pop. The sound of
Skrillex Sonny John Moore (born January 15, 1988), known professionally as Skrillex, is an American DJ, record producer, musician, singer. Raised in Northeast Los Angeles and Northern California, he began his career in 2004 as the lead vocalist of the ...
-produced 80s rock "Somebody" was described as "a hyper-pop experiment" that is driven by a "snappy baseline". "
Ghost In folklore, a ghost is the soul or Spirit (supernatural entity), spirit of a dead Human, person or non-human animal that is believed by some people to be able to appear to the living. In ghostlore, descriptions of ghosts vary widely, from a ...
", the eleventh track is a
pop-rock Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre and form of rock music characterized by a strong commercial appeal, with more emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than standard rock musi ...
song with shimmering electronic
synthesizer A synthesizer (also synthesiser or synth) is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating waveforms through methods including subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis a ...
s. The twelfth track, "Peaches", which features Daniel Caesar and Giveon, is a pop- R&B song that has been compared to
Bruno Mars Peter Gene Hernandez (born October 8, 1985), known professionally as Bruno Mars, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer. Regarded as a pop icon, he is known for his three-octave tenor vocal range, live performances, R ...
' work. And on the breathless
dance-pop Dance-pop is a Music genre, genre of electronic dance music that originated in the late 1970s to early 1980s. It is generally uptempo music intended for nightclubs with the intention of being danceable but also suitable for contemporary hit ra ...
track The next track, "Love You Different", which features Beam, is influenced by tropical house and
Afrobeat Afrobeat (also known as Afrofunk) is a West African music genre, fusing influences from Nigerian (such as Yoruba) and Ghanaian (such as highlife) music, with American funk, jazz, and soul influences. With a focus on chanted vocals, complex i ...
, and has been compared to Bieber's 2015 single, " Sorry". The next track, "Loved by You", features Burna Boy and is influenced by
afropop African popular music (also styled Afropop, Afro-pop, Afro pop or African pop) can be defined as any African music, regardless of genre, that uses Western pop musical instruments, such as the guitar, piano, trumpet, etc.Olabode, O. (2023, J ...
and
dancehall Dancehall is a genre of Jamaican popular music that originated in the late 1970s. Initially, dancehall was a more sparse version of reggae than the roots reggae, roots style, which had dominated much of the 1970s.Barrow, Steve & Dalton, Peter (2 ...
.


Promotion


Singles

For ''Justice'', Bieber's management team tried out a new multi-single release strategy, which was to release multiple singles, which would later lead into a new album. Bieber's manager, Scooter Braun, came up with the idea in June 2020. The lead single of the album "
Holy Sacred describes something that is dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of a deity; is considered worthy of spiritual respect or devotion; or inspires awe or reverence among believers. The property is often ascribed to objects (a ...
", which features American rapper
Chance the Rapper Chancelor Johnathan Bennett (born April 16, 1993), known professionally as Chance the Rapper, is an American rapper. Born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, he released his debut mixtape '' 10 Day'' (2012) during one of his high school suspension ...
, was released on September 18, 2020. It debuted at number three on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 making it Bieber's 20th top 10 in the United States. Its music video was released on the same day and features Bieber as a laid-off oil worker and his partner being helped by a charitable soldier. It was directed by Colin Tilley and stars
Wilmer Valderrama Wilmer Eduardo Valderrama ( ; born January 30, 1980) is an American actor. He is known for his role as Fez in the sitcom '' That '70s Show'' (1998–2006), his current role as Special Agent Nick Torres in '' NCIS'' (2016–present), and Agu ...
and
Ryan Destiny Ryan Destiny (born January 8, 1995) is an American actress, singer, and songwriter. Destiny is best known for her roles in the Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox TV musical drama ''Star (TV series), Star'', the Freeform (TV channel), Freeform sitcom ' ...
. The second single, " Lonely", a collaboration with American record producer
Benny Blanco Benjamin Joseph Levin (born March 8, 1988), known professionally as Benny Blanco (stylized in all lowercase), is an American record producer and songwriter. He is the recipient of the 2013 Hal David Starlight Award from the Songwriters Hall ...
, was released on October 16, 2020. The track debuted at number 14 and peaked at number 12 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart. Its music video premiered alongside the single. It was directed by American music video director
Jake Schreier Jacob Stacey Schreier (born 1981) is an American director. He was a founding member of Waverly Films, a Brooklyn, New York, Brooklyn-based filmmaking collective, and joined Park Pictures in 2006, releasing his first feature film ''Robot & Frank'' ...
and stars Jacob Tremblay, who plays a younger version of Bieber. Bieber praised Jacob Tremblay for his talent, adding that he became emotional when he saw Tremblay play himself, while he acts as a spectator "from the outside looking in". In a livestream on Bieber's YouTube channel after the song's release, both Bieber and Blanco called Tremblay one of the best child actors they have ever seen. "The first time I watched him go through the segment... I legitimately lost it," Bieber said of witnessing Tremblay on set. "I was tearing up, like completely." The third single, "
Anyone Anyone may refer to: * Anyone (band), a band from Southern California formed in 1995 * "Anyone" (Roxette song), a 1999 song by Roxette * "Anyone" (Demi Lovato song), a 2020 song by Demi Lovato * "Anyone" (Justin Bieber song), a 2021 song by Ju ...
", released on January 1, 2021. The track debuted and peaked at number six on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100. The music video premiered alongside the single. It was directed by Colin Tilley and stars American actress Zoey Deutch who plays Bieber's love interest in the video. Bieber portrays a 1960s boxer whose powerful love for his other half inspires him to train, fight, and eventually overcome a potential K.O. on his journey to becoming a champion. For the music video, Bieber covered up all of his tattoos. The fourth single, " Hold On", was released on March 5, 2021. The track debuted at number 26 and later peaked at number 20 on the Hot 100 chart. Its music video was released alongside the single and was directed by Colin Tilley. It stars Taiwanese actress
Christine Ko Christine Ko (born ) is an American actress, known for her roles as Emma on the CBS sitcom '' The Great Indoors'', Mandi on ''Upload'' and Emma on ''Dave''. Before her success in America, she had a brief career in Taiwan in the early 2010s. ...
who plays Bieber's love interest in the video. The video opens with Bieber on the run from the police, before suffering a gunshot wound. However, as the video flashes back, the viewer learns why Bieber is running from the police in the first place. The fifth single, "
Peaches The peach (''Prunus persica'') is a deciduous tree first domesticated and cultivated in China. It bears edible juicy fruits with various characteristics, most called peaches and the glossy-skinned, non-fuzzy varieties called nectarines. Peac ...
", which features Canadian singer-songwriter Daniel Caesar and American singer-songwriter Giveon, was released alongside the album on March 19, 2021. The song debuted atop the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart, and became Bieber's seventh number one in the United States. Bieber also became the first solo male artist to debut at number one on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and ''Billboard'' 200 charts simultaneously. The song's music video premiered alongside the song and album. It was directed by Colin Tilley and sees the three artists cruising the Las Vegas Strip. The sixth single, "
Ghost In folklore, a ghost is the soul or Spirit (supernatural entity), spirit of a dead Human, person or non-human animal that is believed by some people to be able to appear to the living. In ghostlore, descriptions of ghosts vary widely, from a ...
", was sent to French radio stations on September 10, 2021. The song debuted at number 66 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart following the release of ''Justice'' and later peaked at number five after being released as a single. The music video, directed by Colin Tilley, premiered on October 8, 2021. Actress
Diane Keaton Diane Keaton (née Hall; born January 5, 1946) is an American actress. She has received List of awards and nominations received by Diane Keaton, various accolades throughout her career spanning over five decades, including an Academy Award, a Bri ...
stars as Bieber's grandmother in the video. The video sees Bieber and Keaton mourn the death of his grandfather at an ocean-side funeral. After two years, Bieber sees that Keaton is still struggling from her husband's passing, so he buys her expensive things and the two partake in activities together. The video ends with Bieber finding Keaton a new man who resembles her widower on a dating app called Slide and taking her to meet him, setting her up on a date with him.


Live performances

To promote the album and its singles, Bieber performed on several TV shows including ''
Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (''SNL'') is an American Late night television in the United States, late-night live television, live sketch comedy variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Michaels and Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC. The ...
'', ''
The Late Late Show with James Corden ''The Late Late Show with James Corden'' (also known simply as ''Late Late'') is an American late-night talk show that aired on CBS from 2015 to 2023. It is the fourth and final iteration of '' The Late Late Show'', and aired in the United Sta ...
'', and ''
Good Morning America ''Good Morning America'', often abbreviated as ''GMA'', is an American breakfast television, morning television program that is broadcast on American Broadcasting Company, ABC. It debuted on November 3, 1975, and first expanded to weekends wit ...
''. Bieber debuted his singles "
Holy Sacred describes something that is dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of a deity; is considered worthy of spiritual respect or devotion; or inspires awe or reverence among believers. The property is often ascribed to objects (a ...
" and " Lonely" during the third episode of the 46th season of ''Saturday Night Live'', on October 18, 2020. The single "
Anyone Anyone may refer to: * Anyone (band), a band from Southern California formed in 1995 * "Anyone" (Roxette song), a 1999 song by Roxette * "Anyone" (Demi Lovato song), a 2020 song by Demi Lovato * "Anyone" (Justin Bieber song), a 2021 song by Ju ...
" was performed live for the first time during Bieber's New Year's Eve concert on January 1, 2021. On March 13, 2021, Bieber performed " Hold On" for the first time on the 2021' Kids Choice Awards. The fifth single "
Peaches The peach (''Prunus persica'') is a deciduous tree first domesticated and cultivated in China. It bears edible juicy fruits with various characteristics, most called peaches and the glossy-skinned, non-fuzzy varieties called nectarines. Peac ...
" was performed live for the first time two days before its official release, on March 17, 2021, during Bieber's first Tiny Desk concert. Bieber performed a 15-minute livestream concert from the rooftop of a Paris hotel. The concert premiered on Bieber's YouTube channel on April 13, 2021. Directed by David Ctiborsky, the concert revealed Bieber and his live band performing on a roof at sunset, with landmarks like the Eiffel Tower visible in the background, and later in the halls of the hotel. During the concert the singer played several tracks from his ''Justice'' album, including "Hold On," "Somebody" and "Off My Face." The final track, "2 Much," brought Bieber back to the roof after night falls, with the Eiffel Tower glowing behind him.


''Justin Bieber: Next Chapter''

The documentary ''Next Chapter'', directed by Michael D. Ratner, premiered on
YouTube YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...
on October 30, 2020. It provided an intimate look at Bieber's life in quarantine and while recording ''Justice''. While talking about the documentary, Bieber said: "I'm excited to catch up with he fansand to share the progress I'm making, the new music I'm working on, and what I'm excited about for the future."


Touring

After the release of his lead single " Yummy" from his fifth studio album ''
Changes Changes may refer to: Books * '' Changes: A Love Story'', 1991 novel by Ama Ata Aidoo * ''Changes'' (The Dresden Files) (2010), the 12th novel in Jim Butcher's ''The Dresden Files'' Series * ''Changes'', a 1983 novel by Danielle Steel * ''Chan ...
'' on January 3, 2020, Bieber announced the first round of dates for his new tour titled Changes Tour, on January 13, 2020. The tour was scheduled to begin on May 14, 2020, in
Seattle Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...
at CenturyLink Field, but on April 1, 2020, it was announced that the tour would be postponed due to the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
. On July 23, 2020, Bieber announced rescheduled dates for the then called " Justin Bieber World Tour" slated for 2021, starting on June 2, 2021, in
San Diego San Diego ( , ) is a city on the Pacific coast of Southern California, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a population of over 1.4 million, it is the List of United States cities by population, eighth-most populous city in t ...
at Pechanga Arena. On May 6, 2021, Bieber announced rescheduled dates for the tour, now called " Justice World Tour". Bieber hit the road on February 18, 2022, at Pechanga Arena in San Diego and the tour ran through Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Salt Lake City, Denver, Atlanta, Montreal, Tampa, Austin, and more. Bieber said about the tour in a press release: “We’re working hard to make this tour the best one yet. I'm excited to get out there and engage with my fans again.” The tour officially started on February 18, 2022 in San Diego and ended on September 4, 2022, in Rio de Janeiro after Bieber needed to take a break from music and touring in order to focus on his health.


Artwork

On January 14, 2021, Rory Kramer snapped 3,500 photos of Bieber across three Los Angeles locations. The cover was taken within the night's final 100 frames. In the definitive photo, Bieber is crouched in Downtown Los Angeles' 2nd Street Tunnel. His hand covers his left eye, while his right eye is introspectively closed. Bieber chose the picture to be the album cover in mid-January at his home in Los Angeles. In an interview with ''
The Indianapolis Star } ''The Indianapolis Star'' (also known as ''IndyStar'') is a morning daily newspaper that began publishing on June 6, 1903, in Indianapolis, Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. It has been the only major daily paper in the city since 1999, whe ...
'', Kramer stated: "You saw how certain he was, he saw that vision. It was cool to witness, someone so excited about his project. It's cool to have the artist be super passionate about your photo. It's the ultimate compliment". On February 26, 2021, when the album cover was revealed, the team of the French group
Justice In its broadest sense, justice is the idea that individuals should be treated fairly. According to the ''Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy'', the most plausible candidate for a core definition comes from the ''Institutes (Justinian), Inst ...
reacted to the album logo. According to Pedro Winter, founder and owner of French record label
Ed Banger Records Ed Banger Records (sometimes referred to as Ed Rec) is a French electronic music record label founded by Pedro Winter in 2003 as a division of Headbangers Entertainment. It focuses on house music, particularly French house, as well as alternati ...
, the logo of the album, conceived by Bieber himself, is similar to the logo of Justice, who is signed to the label. On March 1, 2021, Winter reacted on
Instagram Instagram is an American photo sharing, photo and Short-form content, short-form video sharing social networking service owned by Meta Platforms. It allows users to upload media that can be edited with Social media camera filter, filters, be ...
by taking a screenshot of the logo drawn by Bieber and saying, satirically; "
Ed Banger Records Ed Banger Records (sometimes referred to as Ed Rec) is a French electronic music record label founded by Pedro Winter in 2003 as a division of Headbangers Entertainment. It focuses on house music, particularly French house, as well as alternati ...
appoints Mr Justin Drew Bieber as
Art Director Art director is a title for a variety of similar job functions in theater, advertising, marketing, publishing, fashion, live-action and animated film and television, the Internet, and video games. It is the charge of a sole art director to supe ...
. We would like to thank Mr So Me he current artistic director of Ed Bangerfor all his work since 2003". On March 18, ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...
'' reported that Justice sent a
cease and desist A cease and desist letter is a document sent by one party, often a business, to warn another party that they believe the other party is committing an unlawful act, such as copyright infringement, and that they will take legal action if the oth ...
letter to Bieber over the album, citing willful trademark infringement over the Cross logo.


Release

Bieber announced the release of the album on February 26, 2021. Along with the announcement, an EP titled '' JB6'' was released for digital download and
streaming Streaming media refers to multimedia delivered through a network for playback using a media player. Media is transferred in a ''stream'' of packets from a server to a client and is rendered in real-time; this contrasts with file downl ...
. The EP includes the original versions of three of the already-released singles "
Holy Sacred describes something that is dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of a deity; is considered worthy of spiritual respect or devotion; or inspires awe or reverence among believers. The property is often ascribed to objects (a ...
" (featuring Chance the Rapper), " Lonely" (with
Benny Blanco Benjamin Joseph Levin (born March 8, 1988), known professionally as Benny Blanco (stylized in all lowercase), is an American record producer and songwriter. He is the recipient of the 2013 Hal David Starlight Award from the Songwriters Hall ...
) and "
Anyone Anyone may refer to: * Anyone (band), a band from Southern California formed in 1995 * "Anyone" (Roxette song), a 1999 song by Roxette * "Anyone" (Demi Lovato song), a 2020 song by Demi Lovato * "Anyone" (Justin Bieber song), a 2021 song by Ju ...
", as well as acoustic versions of the former two. Target and
Walmart Walmart Inc. (; formerly Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.) is an American multinational retail corporation that operates a chain of hypermarkets (also called supercenters), discount department stores, and grocery stores in the United States and 23 other ...
-exclusive CD versions of ''Justice'' were released alongside the original on March 19, 2021, and both include one additional song. Bieber revealed the track listing of the album on March 10, 2021. On March 16, 2021, ''
Good Morning America ''Good Morning America'', often abbreviated as ''GMA'', is an American breakfast television, morning television program that is broadcast on American Broadcasting Company, ABC. It debuted on November 3, 1975, and first expanded to weekends wit ...
'' announced that Bieber would debut a new music video on March 19. On March 19, 2021, ''Justice'' was released alongside a music video for the fifth single, "
Peaches The peach (''Prunus persica'') is a deciduous tree first domesticated and cultivated in China. It bears edible juicy fruits with various characteristics, most called peaches and the glossy-skinned, non-fuzzy varieties called nectarines. Peac ...
", which was directed by Colin Tilley. The video sees Bieber and featured artists Daniel Caesar and Giveon cruising the
Las Vegas Strip The Las Vegas Strip is a stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard in Clark County, Nevada, that is known for its concentration of resort hotels and casinos. The Strip, as it is known, is about long, and is immediately south of the Las Vegas city limits ...
. ''Justice (Triple Chucks Deluxe)'' with six new tracks was released on March 26, 2021 and features guest appearances from Jaden,
Tori Kelly Victoria Loren Kelly (born December 14, 1992) is an American singer-songwriter. She first gained recognition on YouTube before making it through to Hollywood week on the ninth season of ''American Idol'' in 2010 and eventually releasing her debu ...
,
Lil Uzi Vert Symere Bysil Woods ( ; born July 31, 1995), known professionally as Lil Uzi Vert, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. Born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, they gained initial recognition following the release of the commer ...
and
DaBaby Jonathan Lyndale Kirk (born December 22, 1991), known professionally as DaBaby (formerly Baby Jesus), is an American rapper. After releasing several mixtapes between 2014 and 2018, he signed with Interscope Records in January 2019 in a joint ...
.


Critical reception

''Justice'' received generally mixed to positive reviews from music critics. At
Metacritic Metacritic is an American website that aggregates reviews of films, television shows, music albums, video games, and formerly books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created ...
, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an
average In colloquial, ordinary language, an average is a single number or value that best represents a set of data. The type of average taken as most typically representative of a list of numbers is the arithmetic mean the sum of the numbers divided by ...
score of 62, based on 16 reviews, indicating "generally favourable reviews". Louise Bruton from ''
The Irish Times ''The Irish Times'' is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper and online digital publication. It was launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Ruadhán Mac Cormaic. It is published every day except Sundays. ''The Irish Times'' is Ireland's leading n ...
'' described ''Justice'' as "undeniably good" and the singer's "poppiest yet", having Bieber "loosen up" musically. Roisin O'Connor, writing for ''
The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...
'', dubbed ''Justice'' the best album of Bieber's career, praised the evolution from his fifth studio album, ''
Changes Changes may refer to: Books * '' Changes: A Love Story'', 1991 novel by Ama Ata Aidoo * ''Changes'' (The Dresden Files) (2010), the 12th novel in Jim Butcher's ''The Dresden Files'' Series * ''Changes'', a 1983 novel by Danielle Steel * ''Chan ...
'', and adored the musicianship of its tracks. In agreement, Will Lavin of ''
NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming and culture website, bimonthly magazine, and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a "Rock music, rock inkie", the ''NME'' would be ...
'' felt that the album is an improvement from ''Changes''. He asserted ''Justice'' is not a protest album, but contains "messages of hope, morality and standing for truth" nevertheless, where Bieber produces "powerful results" via personal experiences. ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
'' writer Jason Lipshutz felt that Bieber "gains more artistic clarity" on ''Justice'', as he attempts to "express a complex emotional state over the course of an album instead of jamming it into three minutes". He named it Bieber's "strongest front-to-back listen to date". ''
PopMatters ''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, ...
'' writer Ana Clara Ribeiro wrote that ''Justice'' evinces Bieber as a "pop music force", and contains traces of its predecessors, especially ''Purpose'' (2015). Other reviews were more mixed. Leah Greenblatt of ''
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American online magazine, digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, ...
'' felt that none of the tracks "have touched the heady heights" of ''Purpose'' singles like " Sorry" and " Where Are Ü Now", but thought ''Justice'' is full of "Husband Bops" and "respectable numbers". ''
Evening Standard The ''London Standard'', formerly the ''Evening Standard'' (1904–2024) and originally ''The Standard'' (1827–1904), is a long-established regional newspaper published weekly and distributed free newspaper, free of charge in London, Engl ...
''s David Smyth complimented the musical direction of the album but noted that Bieber "still doesn't have a great deal to say" lyrically. Reviewing for '' Clash'', Robin Murray stated that ''Justice'' explores "
hip hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hip- ...
to slick ''Billboard'' pop and beyond", however, its 16 tracks "can become a repetitive experience". Branding it "an earnest pop album", ''
Pitchfork A pitchfork or hay fork is an agricultural tool used to pitch loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. It has a long handle and usually two to five thin tines designed to efficiently move such materials. The term is also applie ...
''s Rawiya Kameir complimented Bieber's smooth and controlled vocals but deprecated the "rote" production and "spiritless" songwriting. She saw ''Justice'' exuding the same "charisma and agility" that drove Bieber to stardom, however, denounced
justice In its broadest sense, justice is the idea that individuals should be treated fairly. According to the ''Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy'', the most plausible candidate for a core definition comes from the ''Institutes (Justinian), Inst ...
as the album's theme, expressing uncertainty about "whether Bieber is singing about his wife or his god". Rosemary Akpan of ''
Exclaim! ''Exclaim!'' is a Canadian music and entertainment publisher based in Toronto, which features coverage of new music across all genres with a special focus on Canadian and emerging artists. The monthly ''Exclaim!'' print magazine publishes seven ...
'' dubbed ''Justice'' a "decent" album about his "wholesome" marital life, nonetheless regarded the album title "reeking
performative activism Performative activism is activism done to increase one's social capital rather than because of one's devotion to a cause. This form of engagement often emphasizes visibility over tangible results, focusing on symbolic gestures that align with tre ...
". Craig Jenkins of ''
Vulture A vulture is a bird of prey that scavenges on carrion. There are 23 extant species of vulture (including condors). Old World vultures include 16 living species native to Europe, Africa, and Asia; New World vultures are restricted to Nort ...
'' wrote that "Bieber sounds better adjusted than ever, but the music he's made this time feels a little reserved". Jenkins opined that "the more chances ''Justice'' takes, the better the payoffs," but dismissed the collaborations with Khalid and
The Kid Laroi Charlton Kenneth Jeffrey Howard (born 17 August 2003), known professionally as the Kid Laroi (stylized as The Kid LAROI), is an Australian rapper, singer and songwriter. He was first discovered by Triple J Unearthed in 2016 at the age of 13. As ...
.
Jon Caramanica Jon Caramanica (born 1975) is an American journalist and pop music critic who writes for ''The New York Times''. He is also known for writing about hip hop music. Biography Born in Brooklyn, New York, Caramanica received his bachelor's degree ...
of ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' named the album one that is "disorganized, only sporadically strong" but complimented the collaborations "Unstable" and "Peaches". Writing for The ''
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...
'', Mikael Wood opined that the album "feels out of sync with the rest of modern pop". He highlighted "Peaches," "Ghost," and "Die For You" as the record's best tracks, but felt that, the album. as a whole, "short-changes the hard-won storytelling talent that Bieber has cultivated." Many critics found the placement of speeches by
Martin Luther King Jr. Martin Luther King Jr. (born Michael King Jr.; January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) was an American Baptist minister, civil and political rights, civil rights activist and political philosopher who was a leader of the civil rights move ...
in the album irrelevant in context. '' Variety''s Chris Willman appreciated the album's production and Bieber's vocals, calling it an "unabashed, good pop album", but wondered "why anyone thought it was a good idea to conflate civil-right martyrdom with the thought of succumbing to a hot woman". ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
'' critic
Alexis Petridis Alexis Petridis (born 13 September 1971) is an English journalist. He is the head Rock music, rock and pop music critic for ''The Guardian'', and a regular contributor for ''GQ''. In addition to his music journalism for the paper, he has written ...
described the album as a set of
love song A love song is a song about love, falling in love, heartbreak after a breakup, and the feelings that these experiences bring. Love songs can be found in a variety of different music genres. They can come in various formats, from sad and emotion ...
s about Bieber's wife, contradicting the singer's description of the album—"justice for humanity". Questioning the lack of relation between the album's songs and King's speeches, Ali Shutler of ''
The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a British daily broadsheet conservative newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed in the United Kingdom and internationally. It was found ...
'' opined that the "loved-up" lyricism "almost exclusively" focuses on Bieber himself. Shutler dismissed the guest appearances from Khalid and Chance the Rapper as unexciting. Keith Harris of ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...
'' termed ''Justice'' as "professionally crafted pop" with many "chart-validated" tracks. He compared the inclusion of King's speeches to the "hollow, non-committal feel of a brand-sponsored
Black History Month Black History Month is an annually observed commemorative month originating in the United States, where it is also known as African-American History Month. It began as a way of remembering important people and events in the history of the Af ...
tweet, a gesture best left unmade", and remarked that they "co-opt and trivialize the message of the man they profess to honor". In a negative review, Kitty Empire of ''
The Observer ''The Observer'' is a British newspaper published on Sundays. First published in 1791, it is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper. In 1993 it was acquired by Guardian Media Group Limited, and operated as a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' ...
'' criticized Bieber for "putting one of the greatest orators who ever lived on healbum as a tone-deaf wheeze", and deemed the album "a new low" for the singer.


Year-end lists


Commercial performance

The album debuted atop the ''Billboard'' 200 chart, selling 154,000 equivalent album units in the
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
in its first week and becoming Bieber's eighth number one album on the chart. As a 27-year-old at that time, Bieber became the youngest soloist with eight number one albums in the United States. On March 29, 2021, ''Justice'' was certified gold by the
RIAA The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
. The fifth single "Peaches", also debuted at number one in the same week, making Bieber the first solo male artist to debut at number one on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and ''Billboard'' 200 charts simultaneously. The album returned to the top on its third week, becoming his second album to spend multiple weeks at number one. The
International Federation of the Phonographic Industry The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) is the organisation that represents the interests of the recording industry worldwide. It is a non-profit members' organisation registered in Switzerland and founded in Italy in 1 ...
(IFPI) reported that Bieber was the world's eighth best-selling artist of 2021, bolstered by ''Justice''.


Track listing

Notes * signifies a co-producer. * signifies an additional producer. * "Angels Speak" was a part of the Target exclusive edition of the album before the complete version was officially released. * "Red Eye" and "Hailey" were a part of the Walmart exclusive edition of the album before the complete version was officially released.


Personnel

Adapted from Tidal.


Musicians

*
Justin Bieber Justin Drew Bieber ( ; born March 1, 1994) is a Canadian singer. Regarded as a pop icon, he is recognized for his multi-genre musical performances. He was discovered by record executive Scooter Braun in 2008 and subsequently brought to the U ...
– lead vocals, songwriting , backing vocals * Khalid – featured artist , vocals , songwriting *
Chance the Rapper Chancelor Johnathan Bennett (born April 16, 1993), known professionally as Chance the Rapper, is an American rapper. Born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, he released his debut mixtape '' 10 Day'' (2012) during one of his high school suspension ...
– featured artist , vocals , songwriting *
The Kid Laroi Charlton Kenneth Jeffrey Howard (born 17 August 2003), known professionally as the Kid Laroi (stylized as The Kid LAROI), is an Australian rapper, singer and songwriter. He was first discovered by Triple J Unearthed in 2016 at the age of 13. As ...
– featured artist , vocals , songwriting * Dominic Fike – featured artist , vocals , songwriting * Daniel Caesar – featured artist , vocals , songwriting * Giveon – featured artist , vocals , songwriting * Beam – featured artist , vocals , backing vocals , songwriting * Burna Boy – featured artist , vocals , songwriting *
Benny Blanco Benjamin Joseph Levin (born March 8, 1988), known professionally as Benny Blanco (stylized in all lowercase), is an American record producer and songwriter. He is the recipient of the 2013 Hal David Starlight Award from the Songwriters Hall ...
– co-lead artist , songwriting , production , engineering , keyboards , programming *
Skrillex Sonny John Moore (born January 15, 1988), known professionally as Skrillex, is an American DJ, record producer, musician, singer. Raised in Northeast Los Angeles and Northern California, he began his career in 2004 as the lead vocalist of the ...
– songwriting , production , drums , keyboards , programming * Andrew Watt – songwriting , production , backing vocals , bass , guitar , drums , keyboards , adaptation * Louis Bell – songwriting , production , backing vocals , drums , keyboards , programming *
Jon Bellion Jonathan David Bellion (born December 26, 1990) is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, and record producer. He was born and raised in Lake Grove, New York on Long Island. He is best known for his 2016 single "All Time Low," which peaked at ...
– songwriting , production , backing vocals , percussion , programming , bass , drums , vocal production * Michael Pollack – songwriting , backing vocals , organ piano , keyboards * German – production , bass , programming , drums * Ido Zmishlany – songwriting , production , co-production , piano * Josh Gudwin – songwriting , production , mixing , vocal production , recording , engineering , vocal engineering * The Monsters & Strangerz – production , drums , programming , bass , keyboards ** Alexander Izquierdo – songwriting , backing vocals ** Jordan K. Johnson – songwriting , backing vocals ** Stefan Johnson – songwriting , vocal production , backing vocals ** Marcus Lomax – songwriting , backing vocals , keyboards ** Oliver Peterhof – songwriting * Dreamlab – production , recording ** Daniel James – songwriting , recording ** Leah Haywood – songwriting * Jake Torrey – songwriting , production , guitar * Jorgen Odegard – songwriting , production , backing vocals , organ drums , engineering , programming , synthesizer * Steven Franks – songwriting , production * Tommy Brown – songwriting , production , bass * Aldae – production , assistant production * Jimmie Gutch – songwriting , production *
Ilya Ilya, Iliya, Ilia, Ilja, Ilija, or Illia ( , or ; ; ) is the East Slavic form of the male Hebrew name Eliyahu (Eliahu), meaning "My God is Yahu/ Jah." It comes from the Byzantine Greek pronunciation of the vocative (Ilía) of the Greek Eli ...
– songwriting , production , backing vocals , co-production , keyboards , percussion , programming * Harv – songwriting , production , bass , guitar , keyboards , piano * Shndo – production , co-production * Jason Evigan – songwriting , production , backing vocals , bass , drums , guitar , keyboards , programming * LeriQ – production , additional production * Finneas – songwriting , production , engineering , keyboards , programming * Freddy Wexler – songwriting * Gian Stone – songwriting * Gregory Eric Hein – songwriting , backing vocals *
Martin Luther King Jr. Martin Luther King Jr. (born Michael King Jr.; January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) was an American Baptist minister, civil and political rights, civil rights activist and political philosopher who was a leader of the civil rights move ...
– songwriting * Valentin Brunn – songwriting * Ali Tamposi – songwriting , backing vocals * Scott Harris – songwriting * Tia Scola – songwriting * Anthony M. Jones – songwriting * Brittany Amaradio – songwriting * Rami Yacoub – songwriting * Luiz Bonfa – songwriting * Walter De Backer – songwriting * Ryan Tedder – songwriting , backing vocals * Luis Manuel Martinez Jr. – songwriting * Jordan Douglas – songwriting * Whitney Phillips – songwriting *
Amy Allen Amy or Aimee Allen may refer to: *Amy Allen (actress) (born 1976), American actress *Amy Allen (philosopher) *Amy Allen (songwriter) *Aimee Allen (born 1982), American singer-songwriter *Amy Allen (The A Team), Amy Allen ''(The A Team)'' *Amy Allen, ...
– songwriting * Raul Cubina – songwriting , percussion * Candice Mills – backing vocals * Carla Williams – backing vocals * Christeyun Morgan – backing vocals * Darian Elliot – backing vocals * Demarcus Williams – backing vocals * Denae Daughtery – backing vocals * Drea Randle Matthews – backing vocals * Eboni Ellerson – backing vocals * Eric Birdine – backing vocals * James McKissic – backing vocals * Ja'Quoi Griffin – backing vocals * Mariann Shaw – backing vocals * Marshari Williams – backing vocals * Melodie Pace – backing vocals * Michael Bethany – backing vocals * Myron Williams – backing vocals * Tameka Sanford – backing vocals * Zahrea Clayton – backing vocals * Virtual Riot – piano * Pierre-Luc Rioux – guitar * Max Grahn – drums *
Charlie Puth Charles Otto Puth Jr. (; born December 2, 1991) is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. His initial exposure came through the viral success of his cover (music), song covers uploaded to YouTube. Puth signed with the record labe ...
– piano


Technical

* Josh Gudwin – mixing * Colin Leonard – mastering * Paul LaMalfa – engineering * Elijah Marrett-Hitch – assistant mixing * Heidi Wang – assistant mixing , recording , engineering , assistant record engineering * Chris O'Ryan – engineering , vocal engineering , vocal production * Devin Nakao – engineering , recording * John Arbuckle – engineering * Cory Brice – engineering * Drew Gold – engineering * Jeremy Lertola – engineering * Sam Holland – engineering * Denis Kosiak – recording , vocal production * Michael Havens – recording * Kevin Carbo – recording * Lionel Crasta – recording * Rafael Fadul – recording * Ryan Lytle – assistant record engineering * James Keeley – assistant record engineering * Chenao Wang – assistant record engineering * Kirk Franklin – choir arranging * Scooter Braun – choir arranging , production coordination * Andrew Luftman – production coordination * Sarah Shelton – production coordination


Charts


Weekly charts


Year-end charts


Certifications


Release history


References

{{Authority control 2021 albums Justin Bieber albums Albums produced by Andrew Watt (record producer) Albums produced by Benny Blanco Albums produced by Finneas O'Connell Albums produced by Harv Albums produced by Ido Zmishlany Albums produced by Jon Bellion Albums produced by Louis Bell Albums produced by Ojivolta Albums produced by Poo Bear Albums produced by Skrillex Albums produced by the Monsters & Strangerz Albums produced by Tommy Brown (record producer) Albums produced by Virtual Riot Def Jam Recordings albums EMI Records albums RBMG Records albums Schoolboy Records albums Universal Music Group albums