Album Review: Justin Bieber Vs One Direction

From boys to men, Justin Bieber and One Direction dropped their highly-anticipated albums today. Pop culture hasn’t seen a release-date rivalry as fierce as this one for a long time and as the war wages in the world of pop, the teen idol and the biggest boy band battle to top the charts. You have the Directioners in the red corner, the Beliebers in the blue corner.

Friday 13^th is unlucky for some, but both will be hoping luck shines down on them today as the English-Irish boyband release Made in the A.M, their first album without original member Zayn Malik, while this will be Bieber’s Purpose will be his fourth album. We review both albums:

Detractors may not like to admit it, but both artists are very good at what they do. While One Direction have always been a guilty pleasure for many, people are no longer ashamed to admit they are a fan of Bieber, and nor should they be.

Bieber’s Purpose could equally be renamed “The unbearable lightness of being Bieber;” the tabloid Truman Show he can’t escape and the teenage mistakes magnified a million times, form an underlying theme throughout the album. Purpose is very much of the moment: a skittering, metallic synthesis of dance music and modern R&B, with the influence of collaborators Diplo and Skrillex obvious. Chart smashes—“Sorry,” “Where Are Ü Now?” and “What Do You Mean?”—all represent a new chapter in Bieber’s evolution as an artist and have already proved that people are liking what they hear.

One Direction’s Made in the A.M has already yielded two of its own massive singles: “Drag Me Down” and “Perfect.” Their knack for creating a catchy tune has not wavered however, there is nothing new or different from their work from yesteryears, and their material this time around is all too familiar. Still largely crafted for listeners whose idea of romance is a Disney prince—dashing, devoted, and safely two-dimensional, while Bieber finds his adult voice, 1D are yet to make the jump from boys to men.

Justin Bieber – Purpose: ?????

Download: "Sorry" and "What Do You Mean?" 

One Direction - Made in the A.M.: ?????

Download: "Perfect" and "Drag Me Down"