Justin Bieber is nearing the end of his Music Mondays series. Last night (Dec. 1), slightly before its midnight due time, the pop megastar released the penultimate track in the series, "Change Me."
To fall in line with other tracks from his music journals, "Change Me" features a back-to-basics approach to making music. More so than any of the other tracks Bieber has released this fall, "Change Me" shows a totally new side of Bieber. Backed simply by a very mature piano melody and eventually some light electronic drumming, "Change Me" shies away from the typical pop verse-chorus-verse structure and instead opts for a wandering, dreamlike melody that never really seems to begin or end, ultimately ending up nowhere (and that's not a bad thing).
Around the winding melody, Bieber once again goes introspective for his lyrics, wondering if a girl in his life will finally be the one who can change him. "Girl, I'm ready if you're ready now," he sings right off the bat.
Is this one about Selena Gomez, like many of the music journals tracks are rumored to be, or could this be about a new girl in his life? The answer isn't totally clear, but "Change Me" doesn't really need to answer that question, as it gives listeners a real insight on how Bieber sees himself and the world.
The entire package is a bold move from Bieber. Clocking in at just 2 minutes, 47 seconds, "Change Me" is likely a musical test for Bieber, allowing him to see just how far he can push the "pop" music boundary and perhaps gain new fans, while maintaining the adoration of his Belieber fanbase (who are largely made up of tweenage girls). And the result is a mature piano ballad on par with anything his the people Bieber is trying to emulate could come up with.
So, should the public really accept the "new" Justin Bieber? Will he be able to make the transition from teen sensation to adult pop star?
With "Change Me," the answer could very well be: yes.
Listen to "Change Me" below, via Idolator.
