The Mycenaean

Justin Bieber, one of society’s more controversial pop stars, has had it rough this year. With all of the negative headlines and criticism in constant rotation, many of us believed that 2013 would be Bieber’s demise. Surprisingly enough, this is far from true.

Bieber is making a comeback to music.

Bieber’s website announced a few weeks ago that, “Starting Sunday [October 7, 2013] at midnight, Justin will release a new song every Monday for 10 weeks straight in his ‘Music Mondays’ series.” This news excited “Beliebers” everywhere.

The first song released by Bieber was “Heartbreaker,” which received positive reception from his fans, as well as his “haters.” This was due to the newly matured sound and personal lyrics of the highly anticipated record. The song reached #1 on the iTunes Top 100 chart in less than an hour after its release but quickly fell days later. The success and generally good reception of “Heartbreaker” only excited fans further and kept the hype for the “Music Mondays” series alive.

The next “Music Monday” single released by Bieber this past Monday was a very simplistic song entitled “All That Matters.” Although both stellar songs, the beauty of “All That Matters” goes much further than that of “Heartbreaker.”

“All That Matters” begins with a sharp acoustic guitar rhythm, hinting that the tone of the song will be a mellow and gloomy one. The guitar rhythm alone lasts about 15 seconds. It is then accompanied by Bieber’s vocals as well as the stuttering beat of a drum. The guitar and drum are consistent throughout the song. This allows Biebers meaningful lyrics and impressive vocal range to shine. This musical simplicity is unusual for Bieber, considering that most of his past work has incorporated a wide variety of background sounds and instruments.

Although “All That Matters” sounds sweet and simple, the true meaning behind the lyrical aspect is personal to Bieber.

“[All That Matters] conveys that being in love is one of the greatest feelings on earth. Love is all that matters. But the void you feel when that love goes away is gut-wrenching,” said Bieber on his website. The message and tone of “All That Matters” is similar to that of “Heartbreaker.” This makes it apparent that Bieber is still going through the pain brought on by his breakup with Selena Gomez, ex-girlfriend and pop star.

The relatable lyrics of “All That Matters” allow Bieber’s audience to sympathize with him. “Uh-oh, I’m grateful for your existence/ Faithful no matter the distance/ You’re the only girl I see/ From the bottom of my heart please believe,” is only a taste of some of the sweet and sorrowful lyrics crooned by Bieber in the song. He also goes on to compare life without his girl to a car without gas. Bieber’s new and improved songwriting skills allows both teens and adults to relate to the messages his music.

Though some might not like to admit it, Bieber’s sound is definitely maturing. He’s also incorporating a more personal tone, making his newer music applicable to a wider audience.

Based on what’s been released by Bieber so far, I look forward to the eight additional songs expected to release in the weeks to come.