try this: justin bieber (my world 2.0) review

Yeah, don't judge me. I tried to avoid reviewing this album, and I'm not sure why I even listened...but here we are. The Bieber fever. A 16-year-old from Canada, he has a very young career, but has already caused mass shopping mall hysteria, and an insane tween girl following. The secret to his swagger is that he's a cute kid who can sing who seems humble enough in public. Basically, he makes it seem like any chick out there could be his girlfriend, and so it keeps the hope alive for the fans. Usher helped discover him and probably taught him a few things. Strangely, Bieber's debut album (LP) My World only had 7 songs on it, but due to the popularity of his single "One Time," they had to release something asap. The follow up, My World 2.0, is a 10 song record that pulls out the big names (Bryan Cox, Ludacris, Sean Kingston). It not only debuted at #1, but sold more records in the following week -- a feat not accomplished since The Beatles. Geez.

The lead single "Baby" features Ludacris, and has an amazingly catchy chorus and beat (with a little help from The-Dream). "Somebody To Love" has a nice uptempo, electronic feel: "I need somebody to love/I don't need nothing else/I promise girl I swear.../Is she out there?" This songwriting genius totally hooks the girls in. I can hear them thinking "that could be me!" already. No wonder that this is the second single.

"Stuck In The Moment," "U Smile," can be classified as pop throw-up...maple syrup mixed with gummi bears and Fun Dip. Pass. "Runaway Love" comes off as pretty boring. "Overboard" features some 14-year old Def Jam chick that sadly sounds exactly like her duet partner. It kinda picks up with some nice strings thrown in, but meh.

The mid-tempo "Never Let U Go" has a good vocal effort by Bieber. "Eenie Meenie" featuring Sean Kingston is rad, though repetitive. "Shorty is a eenie meenie miney mo lover..." Yeah, the lyrics need help. I wish there was a back-and-forth bridge with both guys kinda dueling. Oh well. I'm a fan of the beat for "Up," probably because it sounds like something straight from a The-Dream record. The final track "That Should Be Me" is another highlight. Definitely the main ballad of the album, with cool drummer-boy snares and a guitar solo thrown in.

My World 2.0 has some formulaic songs that are written very plainly, but most songs have refreshing key changes and bridges that are unexpected. Combine that with the undeniably catchy singles, and Bieber's magnetic force continues to grow. His sophomore effort peaks at the beginning, but gets better again near the end. Homeboy's voice sounds like a 14-year old girl, but I feel like that will change -- along with the sappy lyrical content of his songs -- after another year in the biz. The future of the Biebs entity will be interesting.