Despite all the fame and fortune, misguided tourist activities, legal troubles and goofy bucket hats, it seems like it’s actually probably pretty difficult to be Justin Bieber. At only 20 years old, the pop star has faced massive public scrutiny while growing up in the public eye. Sure, the guy is a total jerk (just look at his recent deposition), but how would you act when you were billed as one of the most-hated modern celebrities while just in your teens?
Bieber’s last two singles, February’s “Broken” and this weekend’s new track “Hard 2 Face Reality” show a pensive side to the singer -- the song titles alone are enough to raise an eyebrow or two.
But, what’s he talking about now? Bieber’s “Hard 2 Face Reality,” which dropped on SoundCloud over the weekend lyrically explores a long distance relationship gone sour, probably once again hinting at the difficulties he and his on-again-off-again girlfriend Selena Gomez have faced.
“Sometimes it’s hard to face reality / Even though you might get mad at me,” Bieber croons in the chorus, over a bopping electronic chorus speckled with bits of melodic guitars.
Musically, “Hard 2 Face Reality” follows the path Bieber first set out on for Journals. The stripped down beat has a clear R&B influence while still playing to modern pop music instrumentals. But, the music itself takes second place to Bieber’s (and Poo Bear’s) voice in the mix, allowing the raw emotions of the lyrics to play out.
Bieber’s vocals on “Hard 2 Face Reality” are on par with the rest of his recent work. He relies slightly less on autotune than usual but still warbled into the electronic microphone a little too much for his own good. Meanwhile Atlatic musician Poo Bear leans heavily on the autotune, though his deeper vocals are a nice play off Bieber’s higher register croon.
“Hard 2 Face Reality” is a little too much of a drag to be a proper hit for Bieber, but it seemed like a good emotional outlet, and that’s all music has to be about sometimes.
Listen to the new song below, via Just Jared
