Since the release of his successful third studio album Believe in 2012 ("As Long As You Love Me", "Beauty and a Beat"), pop heartthrob Justin Bieber has mainly stayed in the media spotlight due to his childish, immature antics and supposedly altered, yet still steamy and delicious, Calvin Klein underwear campaign photos.
However, it seems the 21-year-old Canadian artist is starting to show a mature side to his personality by focusing on his craft with the recent release of "What Do You Mean?", the lead offering off his upcoming official fourth album.
Following closely in the footsteps of his "Where Are U Now" collaboration with Diplo and Skrillex, the new "What Do You Mean?" is a subdued dance/pop track with a noticeable, relaxed R&B flare to Bieber's commendable vocal delivery. With tropical-inspired production and a ticking clock background beat, the young artist struggles to figure out just exactly what his girl wants out of their complex relationship.
There does not seem to be a sense of cockiness coming from Bieber's impressive performance on the new single, but rather a dose of confidence, the kind that comes with growing up and venturing through adult experiences. "What do you mean?, when you nod your head yes, but you wanna say no, what do you mean?," the artist sings on the track's insanely catchy and sincere chorus, one that should win the hearts of all the love sick teenagers.
"What Do You Mean?" is winning immense praise from critics across the board, with some even going as far as to call it the singer's "best single to date". While the single deserves points for showcasing a change in direction for Bieber's predominantly pop past catalog, it does suffer from sounding unintentionally offbeat. The vocal progression paired with the supporting production from Skrillex do not perfectly mesh well together, creating a sound that's not leveled.
Bieber's proper return was highly anticipated. "What Do You Mean?" is a good song, it's different and it thankfully focuses most of the attention on the artist's ever-improving vocals. There just seems to be something missing, preventing it from being absolutely amazing and groundbreaking. As a lead single, it's slightly lackluster, but it does have certain charming qualities that will let this slow burner catch on and dominate as the weeks go by.
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