Purpose (Justin Bieber album)
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Purpose is the fourth studio album by Canadian singer and songwriter Justin Bieber. It was released on November 13, 2015, by Def Jam Recordings and School Boy Records. It serves as the follow-up to Bieber's third studio album Believe (2012) and was quickly developed after the release of his collection, Journals (2013), which saw him in a more R&B direction. Working throughout a period of almost two years on the album, Bieber struggled to find a musical direction for the record and scrapped it many times.
With the help of personal friend and frequent collaborator Jason Boyd, Bieber started to write and record on the album with the idea of doing an inspirational album that could encourage people through uplifting messages in a period of media scrutiny and his involvement in various misdemeanours as well as his tumultuous relationships. Aided by the help of producer Skrillex, which released with partner Diplo and Bieber the top 10 single "Where Are Ü Now" (2015) for their project Jack Ü, Bieber found its sonic direction and worked with the producer in a handful of songs for the album. Purpose was described as a mix of dance-pop, EDM music and R&B, as well as having influences of tropical house in some tracks and live instruments such as acoustic guitars in some others, while being defined as a coming of age album addressing about apologies, faith and recovery. The album received generally favorable reviews from most critics, who praised the consistent sound, noted his artistic growth and deemed it as his best album. Other critics, however, noted that the album focus in excess on his apology requests, which some felt it made the album too serious at times, and found him exponentially fatigued.
The album debuted at number-one on the US Billboard 200, selling 522,000 copies in its first week of release, giving Bieber the largest first-week sales of his career and his sixth number-one album in the United States. Elsewhere, it reached the top of the charts of other eleven countries and the top 10 in the remaining territories. Four singles have been released from the album so far: "What Do You Mean?", "Sorry", "Love Yourself" and "Company". The first three singles achieved international success, reaching number one on the US Billboard Hot 100, which made the first time of his career to have three consecutive number-one singles from the same record, as well as the UK Singles Chart, where the singer broke chart records, and other countries. To promote the album, Bieber made several televised interviews and performances, as well as released "dance videos" to all of the album's tracks in a project called "Purpose: The Movement". He will also embark on his Purpose World Tour in 2016.
Background
While promoting his third studio album, Believe (2012), with its Believe Tour throughout 2012 and 2013, Bieber started recording songs on the tour and confirmed in January 2013 that he was writing for a new album.[7] Five months later he confirmed a new album for 2013,[8] with his manager announcing they were going to think outside the box and release a different type of album.[9] In October 2013, Bieber started the "Music Mondays" project, a ten-week digital download campaign in which one new song was released every Monday night. After the completion of the project, in December 2013, Bieber released the ten songs from the campaign along with new tracks in a limited-edition collection called Journals.[10] Quickly afterwards in January 2014, record producer Douglas Romanow announced that Bieber was recording new music with him.[11] In the same month, Jason "Poo Bear" Boyd, who previously worked on the majority of songs on Journals, started recording heavily with the singer as well.[12] The next month, the singer confirmed he was recording new music.[13] In March 2014, he posted on his Instagram a preview of a song called "Life Is Worth Living",[14] while in April, he promised on his Twitter about his new music and that it would be the "best" he had ever made, while working in the recording studio on the album.[15]
Writing and recording
Throughout the months, he continued to tease snippets of new songs on his social media,[16][17] as well as possible collaborators, such as Ariana Grande,[18] T-Pain,[19] Cody Simpson and others.[20] With Simpson, he planned to release an acoustic collaboration album,[21] but decided to cancel; instead they released a single called "Home to Mama" in November 2014.[22] His label also organized writing camps with a handful of songwriters to write songs for the singer, however he didn't feel connected with the songs.[12] In November 2014, it was reported that American DJs and producers Diplo and Skrillex were working with Bieber on the album.[23] Eventually, he promised a new album for 2015, declaring that it was going to be "a great new chapter for me."[24][25] In January 2015, his manager Scooter Braun shared on his Instagram a picture of Bieber with record producer Rick Rubin,[26] while in March 2015, in an interview for USA Today, Bieber announced he was working with Kanye West.[27] During the interview, he also revealed that he had to re-do the whole album since "it didn't match up to where I am now and where my head's at." According to himself, "What you are thinking about all the time is what you write, and now that I'm thinking about more positive things, it completely changes my music.[27]
In a July interview, he talked about working with Skrillex, saying: "Skrillex is a genius. He’s super futuristic and I just love his sounds. I think being able to incorporate that sound with what I’m doing has been super cool because it’s like new and fresh, and I feel like no one’s done it before."[28] Skrillex also commented about working with Bieber, explaining: "I heard some well-written songs that were really good that they wanted me to do production on and from there, we wrote some new songs. It was an opportunity to try some stuff that I had never done before and we ended up making something really unique."[29] Bieber also commented about West, declaring: "I've been in the studio with him for the past month or so. I think that he just pushes you. He definitely wants it to be my way and my direction and he doesn't want to steal what I want...that's why artists love to go to him, because he pulls something out of you that other people don't."[30] In August 2015, Billboard reported that Bieber was also working with Mason "MdL" Levy and Semi Precious Weapons' Justin Tranter.[31] In October 2015, his manager teased a possible collaboration with American singer Halsey,[32] while Bieber confirmed that British singer and songwriter Ed Sheeran wrote a song for the album.[33]
Composition
Music
In August 2015, Jason Lipshut of Billboard reported that the album was "apparently [going to be] a mix of R&B, EDM and pop following the downbeat acoustic-R&B of his 2013 project 'Journals'."[31] Lipshut also noted that "sources say that the new album will include multiple piano ballads in which Bieber reflects upon his personal missteps, as well as spoken-word outros where he directly addresses his fans."[31] In an interview during the Wango Tango festival, Bieber talked about the album's direction, saying: "Overall, I'm just happy with the place I'm at creatively. I feel like this is probably the best I've been. There's not really a direction. It's like, uplifting music that people can dance to...it's a little different, it's really uplifting and people are going to smile when they listen to it."[30] When asked if the song "Where Are Ü Now", previously released as a single from Jack Ü (a duo between DJs and the album's collaborators Diplo and Skrillex) which features Bieber, would be indicative of the sound on the album, he responded that the album would have "'snippets of that type of stuff' (presumably EDM) but that that [it would] be 'really musical [with] a lot of real instrumentation'."[30] He also commented that he was "trying to have a consistent sound and I get kind of depressed cause I’m so… like, I want it to work so badly. You know I want people to love it, and inspire people and sometimes I feel like, is this good enough? Is this the direction I want to go?."[28] Purpose blends dance beats, EDM vibes with stripped-down R&B ballads.[34][35] The album also makes use of atmospheric instruments as well as hi-hats, bass and synths.[34][35]
The intro track "Mark My Words" was considered a prelude into the album's overall sound: a "mix of both up-beat and mellow tracks with striking production and songwriting,"[36] with Bieber using his falsetto.[37] "I'll Show You" was considered a "chilled-out EDM ballad,"[34] having atmospheric synthesizers, fat bass, snapping trap percussion, and sheets of cascading synths.[38] "What Do You Mean" and "Sorry" were both considered tropical house songs,[39][40] with the former using "pan flute and piano"[38] while having "hints of dark electropop"[36] and the latter having dancehall influences.[34] The album also features the Euro disco track "Children",[41] the funky disco pop "Been You" and "Get Used to It",[39] the "airy, dubsteppy"[42] and "dark pop" "The Feeling",[43] as well as "Where Are Ü Now", which initially was a slow piano ballad named "The Most", which is available in its original format on some editions of the album, and was transformed in an EDM track that both Skrillex and Diplo "took a lot of his vocals and [...] added natural harmonies," as well as "taking Justin’s vocals as he’s singing 'I need you the most' and distorting it," which made people believe it was a "dolphin sound."[44]
In contrast to the dance-oriented songs present on the album, Purpose also features an acoustic pop song, "Love Yourself",[43] which has minimal arrangement, using a guitar and a "brief flurry of trumpets"[45] and folk influence, as well as the piano ballads "Life Is Worth Living" and the title track, "Purpose".[35] Meanwhile, "Company" blends electropop and R&B,[37][41] and it was compared to Bieber's previous release, Journals (2013).[36] "No Pressure" is a "dreamy"[38] R&B track which features rapper Big Sean,[34] who previously worked with Bieber on Believe's "As Long As You Love Me" and Journals' "Memphis", and has an "elastic guitar riff"[37] and "shimmering, processed acoustic guitar."[39] "No Sense" is a hip-hop tinged track, with bass-riddled synthesizers[37] and influences of trap music, mostly due to Travis Scott's appearance.[36] His rap was noted for being using auto-tune in excess,[35] while Bieber's vocals were compared to those of Justin Timberlake.[43] "We Are" and "Trust" also rely on hip-hop, with the first featuring a "heavy background looping" and the last "sharp production sounds and switches in flow," with a Drake-influence.[36] "Hit the Ground", included on the Walmart and Japanese editions, features "organic shifts in tempo" and "Skrillex's imaginative drop," which was compared to "chip-tune bagpipes." [38]
Themes and lyrical content
While being asked about the themes on the album in an interview for The Fader, Jason "Poo Bear" Boyd, one of the album's main songwriters, claimed: "It's about keeping in mind and in tune with what's going on with Justin. Just being honest. We really set up for this project to be inspirational. If we talked about a girl, it was something that just happened. Overall, we touch on his personal life like his relationship issues, but at the same time, it's a healthy balance of inspirational music. We're just thinking about making sure that it's not negative, but uplifting. Even the music that talks about his relationships, it's feel-good music. It's nothing that will make you depressed."[12] In an interview for USA Today, Bieber himself declared that the song on the album are "bout growing, being in touch with yourself. What can I say, it's life experiences, and knowing that you can and get back up and keep going. Hope and faith, that's what's gotten me through this too, my faith. What I believe in. You're around some people sometimes and it might taint what you believe. I think that's what happened with me, I lowered my beliefs."[27] When asked about inspirations for the album and if his former girlfriend Selena Gomez inspired him, he admitted: "A lot of my inspiration comes from her. It was a long relationship and a relationship that created heartbreak and created happiness, and a lot of different emotions that I wanted to write about. So there's a lot of that on this album."[30]
Songs
Purpose was considered as a coming of age album,[46] with the songs serving as "a regretful look back and a fresh start."[47] The album's themes were also seen as a "giant apology – to his ex, Selena Gomez, and to his public, for various well-documented misdemeanours."[48] As described by Complex's Sheldon Pearce, "Purpose is, at its core, a formal request for a pardon through music."[37] The album's opening track, "Mark My Words", is a solemn plea,[37] where he promises to "give you all I got," and "let his actions speak louder than his words."[49] In "I'll Show You", an open letter to fans,[37] offers "an autobiographical glimpse into the difficulty of growing up in the public eye."[49] "What Do You Mean?" was described as "self-professed men's anthem for not being able to figure out the opposite sex,"[41] while "Sorry" asks "a sincere apology directed to what can be presumed is a former love"[35] in attempt at a course correction.[38] "Love Yourself" was noted for being a "deadpan kiss-off to a snobby ex,"[43] with some critics noting that the real meaning "hidden under the deceptive title 'Love Yourself' is "f**k yourself".[41] "Company", the album's sixth track, "looks forward to getting to know someone attractive, but also sets some healthy boundaries for doing so,"[49] while "No Pressure" "invites an ex back into relationship, but insists, 'I don't wanna add to your pain at all',[49] while Big Sean references Yoko Ono, Street Fighter and TV series Empire.[50] The eight track "No Sense" "talks about sharing a bed with a man",[49] with Travis Scott rapping "lines about how he misses being 'boo'ed up'."[35]
The ninth track "The Feeling" "touches on questioning the overwhelming and emotional rush of falling in love,"[36] with Bieber and Halsey asking themselves: "Am I in love or am I in love with the feeling?."[49] "Life Is Worth Living" finds Bieber "mull[ing] redemption and forgiveness [...] saying that you can crucify him but 'only God can judge me'." [50] According to one of its songwriters, Jason Boyd, "[It's a] positive record that says life is worth living, we're supposed to live. We're supposed to be here. [...] People making mistakes, learning from them, and not letting that be it, but say, 'You know what? I'm not gonna do that again. Life is worth living, I'm not just gonna give up just because I fell. I'm gonna try harder because my life is worth it.' It just has such a positive meaning, I feel like it's gonna save a lot of lives."[12] "Where Are Ü Now" "talks about caring and praying for an ex who didn't return the favor,"[49] "Children" has a social consciousness message and "advocates for making the world a better place for its youngest residents"[49] and was unfavorably compared to Michael Jackson's tracks "Man In the Mirror and "Earth Song".[39][48][51][52][53] The title track, "Purpose", "recounts a time that he was at the end of his rope, but God blessed him with purpose."[50] It ends with a "lengthy voiceover" thoughts about God.[49] "Get Used To It" has "euphemisms about blooming flowers and exploding fireworks," "We Are" features Nas in lines about serendipity and doing yoga," "Trust" talks about "still believing in love",[35] and "All In It" "reflects on trusting God to fill him up inside" and has a spoken outro where he declares that "God is perfect and he never disappoints, so I just get my recognition from Him and give Him my recognition."[49]
Release
In early 2015, it was announced that Bieber was going to take his time to announce the album's release, since he was not going to rush an album just to rush an album.[54] During a May 9 Wango Tango interview he revealed: "We're just wrapping it up now so it's in the final-touch stage...it's soon."[30] In a September 2015 interview with Jimmy Fallon, the singer announced the album was going to be released on November 13, 2015.[55] On October 2, 2015, Bieber revealed the album's title, Purpose, on his Twitter account,[56] while on October 9, 2015, he revealed through his Instagram account its cover art made by the street artist Retna.[57] On October 16, 2015, Purpose was made available to pre-order. A remixed version of "What Do You Mean?" with additional vocals from Ariana Grande was made available to those who pre-ordered the album on iTunes.[58] On October 28, 2015, Bieber announced the album track listing through a series of tweets that displayed each title graffitied on a wall in various countries.[59]
Titling and artwork
According to Bieber, he chose the album's title because he felt like he lost his purpose and felt that he finally got his purpose back. He continued: "'The word ['purpose'] is so important in life… My purpose is to inspire people and use my platform to help people'."[60] As noted by MTV News' Patrick Hosken, in the album's cover, "Bieber is shirtless and assuming a very dignified stance, hands meeting in a prayer-like pose, head looking down at what lies at his torso: the word 'Purpose,' written in the same script we first saw [the] week when he unveiled the title."[61] The cover also has a symbol, which "resembl[es] an asymmetrical cross with a small circle attached covering the entire background and painted on his torso." The deluxe edition uses the same cover, only the background & crosses are tinted in black.[62] Purpose was initially banned in various Middle Eastern countries and Indonesia due to the cover art's heavy Christian references, most prominently Bieber's cross tattoo and his praying stance, which were deemed "too provocative".[63] An alternate cover was issued for these countries, depicting Bieber atop a cliff, looking out over a shore.[62]
Promotion
To promote the album, Bieber appeared on many magazines, such as Billboard,[64] Complex,[65] Interview Magazine,[66] i-D,[67] and NME.[68] Bieber debuted the track "What Do You Mean?" in a medley with "Where Are Ü Now" during the MTV Video Music Awards on August 30, 2015.[69] This was followed by a number of other televised performances, where he also performed the song during The X Factor Australia[70] World Famous Rooftop, where he also sang 'Hold Tight', 'All That Matters', 'Boyfriend' and 'As Long As You Love Me,'[71] The Today Show, where he also performed "Where Are Ü Now", "Boyfriend" "As Long As You Love Me" and "Baby",[72] The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,[73] the 2015 Think It Up telecast,[74] the 2015 MTV Europe Music Awards,[75] NRJ Music Awards[76] and BBC Radio 1's Teen Awards, where he also performed "Where Are Ü Now" and "Boyfriend".[77] From November 9, 2015 to November 13, 2015, The Ellen DeGeneres Show hosted a #BieberWeek, where the singer gave interviews, participated of games, pranks, and performed "What Do You Mean?", "Sorry" and "Love Yourself".[78][79] On November 17, 2016, he returned to the Tonight Show to perform "Sorry",[80] while the next day he returned to Today Show and performed "What Do You Mean?", "Sorry", "Love Yourself", as well as new songs "Company", "The Feeling" with Halsey and "No Pressure" with Big Sean.[81] Bieber also performed a medley of "What Do You Mean?", "Where Are Ü Now" and "Sorry" during the 2015 American Music Awards.[82] Bieber also made a set during Capital FM's Jingle Bell Ball 2015, performing 'Where Are Ü Now', 'Boyfriend', 'Love Yourself', 'Home to Mama', 'Hold Tight', 'As Long As You Love Me', 'What Do You Mean' and 'Sorry'[83]
Purpose: The Movement
On November 14, 2015, Bieber released music videos for each track of the album on his Vevo account. The project was considered "a series of video vignettes to accompany the songs from the album" and "when they are played n sequence they form a 30-minute dance film."[84] Mostly videos do not feature Bieber, however they feature several appearances from the album's guests, such as Big Sean, Halsey, Travis Scott, Skrillex and Diplo.[85] The videos were choreographed by Bieber's longtime choreographer Parris Goebel.[84]
Tour
On November 11, 2015, Bieber announced that he will embark on the Purpose World Tour in support of the album. The tour will start in Seattle, Washington on March 9, 2016 and conclude in England on November 29, 2016.[86]
Singles
"What Do You Mean?" was released as the album's first single on August 28, 2015.[87] It was preceded by a social media campaign, which started on July 29, 2015, where Bieber "commissioned at least one celebrity per day to hold up a sign teasing the new track and counting down the days to its release."[88] Upon release, the song became Bieber's first number one single on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States, debuting at number one on the week listed on September 19, 2015, replacing The Weeknd's "Can't Feel My Face" for one week.[89] It was also his first number-one single in Australia[90] and the United Kingdom, where he also broke a streaming record,[91] while also topping the charts of other eleven countries.[92] The song's music video features "shirtless Bieber in bed with a young woman" and "getting kidnapped and punching around some masked men", as well as appearance from actor John Leguizamo.[93]
"Sorry" was announced as the album's second single on October 16, 2015.[94][95] It was released on October 23, 2015.[96] A day before, a music video for the song was released, showing a group of women dancing to the song.[97] The song followed the success of previous single, reaching the top of the charts in the United States, remaining at the top for three weeks,[98] as well as the Canadian and the UK charts. Moreover, the single has peaked within the top five in almost every other market, including number one in other six countries.[92]
"Love Yourself" was first premiered on Zane Lowe's Beats 1 radio show and released digitally on November 9, 2015,[99][100] in advance of the album's release and later announced as the third official single on December 7, 2015.[101] It entered several national charts after the release of Purpose, and met international success prior to its release as a single, topping the charts in eight countries, including Australia, where it remained for seven weeks at the top,[102] Ireland and New Zealand, spending eight weeks at number-one in Ireland and ten weeks at the summit of New Zealand[92] the United Kingdom, where the song spent six weeks at the top,[103] and the United States, becoming his third consecutive number-one single of the album.[104]
"Company" was announced as the album's fourth single on February 19, 2016. It impacted at CHR/Pop stations on March 8, 2016, and will be issued to Urban radio on March 29, 2016.[105]
Promotional singles and other songs
"I'll Show You" was released as the first promotional single on November 1, 2015,[106] accompanied by a music video. It shows Bieber "running through a lush green landscape in Iceland, as well as "tumbling down hills," "skateboarding on top of an abandoned train" and "[braving] ice water in just his [underwear]."[107] It reached the top-ten in four countries, including Canada, and the top-twenty in six others, including Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom.[92] The album also features Bieber's collaboration with Jack Ü, "Where Are Ü Now", originally released as a single from the latter's album, Skrillex and Diplo Present Jack Ü. It became a top-ten single in more than ten countries,[92] including the United States.[108]
Eight songs from the album charted in the top 40 of the UK Singles Chart the same week that the album was released. They were, in order of chart appearance, "Sorry", "Love Yourself", "What Do You Mean?", "I'll Show You", "Company", "Where Are Ü Now", "Mark My Words" and "The Feeling", and this song will be featured in X-Men: Apocalypse. Bieber set a record for having the most simultaneous top 40 entries from a living artist.[109] In addition to this, every song from Purpose (standard edition and deluxe edition bonus tracks included) charted within the top 100, also within the same week.[110]
Critical reception
Aggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
Metacritic | 63/100[111] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [40] |
The A.V. Club | C[43] |
Billboard | [34] |
Entertainment Weekly | B+[42] |
The Guardian | [47] |
NME | [53] |
Pitchfork | 6.2/10[39] |
Rolling Stone | [112] |
Slant Magazine | [38] |
Spin | 7/10[45] |
Purpose received generally favorable reviews from music critics.[111][113] At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 63, based on 20 reviews.[111] Kenneth Partridge of Billboard magazine gave the album four out of five stars, praising it for "[boasting] a consistent palette of lush, low-key electro-dance sounds", also commending the use of "sun-warped synths, chipmunk accent vocals, rattling trap hi-hats, and loads of bass."[114] Leah Greenblatt of Entertainment Weekly also complimented Purpose for featuring "a skittering, metallic synthesis of dance music and modern R&B", arguing that this new musical direction "probably owes a lot to new-school collaborators Diplo and Skrillex, as well as the lesser-known production wizard Poo Bear."[42] Similarly, Neil McCormick of The Daily Telegraph complimented the album for being "less of a mainstream crowd pleaser" but more of a "quirky, atmospheric electro R'n'B concoction with sci-fi sounds and offbeat vocal samples." He argued that this sound "[focuses] attention on the star's soft, supple and seductive singing" and concluded that "despite the presence of EDM star Skrillex amongst the production credits, surprising restraint is exercised throughout, with tracks rarely developing into full tilt techno anthems."[115]
Spin's Andrew Unterberger praised the album, stating: "[B]y giving us the best album of his career, and subsequently re-ascending to Top 40’s mountaintop, Bieber’s answered his own question: In pop music, it’s never too late to say you’re sorry."[45] Bianca Gracie of Idolator agreed, claiming that the album "is no doubt Justin’s best collective LP thus far and shows that he is finally confident in revealing his true artistry. And that is nothing to be sorry about, so keep your needy apologies to yourselves."[51] Patrick Ryan of USA Today praised the "collaborative muscle and confidence" on the album, noting that they show "an artist who is completely unafraid to reinvent himself and create the very definition of a comeback album [...] With Purpose, he proves himself as one of today's most forward-thinking pop stars, and because of that, we're newly converted Beliebers."[50] Al Horner of NME magazine gave the album three out of five stars commenting that Purpose "[is] certainly a start at reinvention" and that "plenty of good choices have been made here."[53] In her review for The Guardian, Caroline Sullivan noted that "the musical direction owes much to co-producer Skrillex, whose unexpectedly subtle electronic palette complements Bieber's affectedly breathy voice," arguing that "the voice soon palls, but the songs are often interesting."[47] While analysing Bieber's Purpose and One Direction's Made in the A.M., Jon Caramanica of The New York Times argued that "even though Mr. Bieber is younger than all of the men of One Direction, he sounds exponentially more experienced, and exponentially more fatigued on Purpose," complimenting the album for showing that it proves that Bieber is "the best singer of the bunch, and the one with a clear vision for his sound, even if he's being largely denied it here."[116]
In his AllMusic review, Andy Kellman gave the album 3 out of 5 stars, and while calling it "a bumpy, oddly compelling restart," he observed that "'Purpose' should hook open-minded pop fans who previously paid him no mind, and it could even win back some of those who wrote Bieber off years ago."[40] While providing a generally favorable comment on the album, Brad Nelson of Pitchfork found out that the album "doesn't particularly follow up on the advances suggested by his previous release, the 2013 R&B experiment 'Journals'," while also noting that "[t]he songs on Purpose have a similarly inanimate feeling; they seem to radiate more than they move."[39] Annie Zaleski of The A.V. Club felt that the album "takes itself so seriously that too often it inadvertently suppresses exactly what made Bieber so appealing in the first place."[43] Sam C. Mac of Slant Magazine was more mixed, opining that "[i]f Bieber wants to sell us on forgiveness and the self-improvement angle that lyrics like 'be a better me' seem to promote, maybe having the conviction to follow through on his intended musical reinvention would've been the best possible good faith gesture."[38] For Consequence of Sound editor Janine Schaults, "Purpose reaches some of the highest highs and lowest lows in Bieber’s career. Skrillex and Diplo successfully serve up twitchy beats ready to incite anything with a pulse, but the sentiment at the album’s core leans toward insufferable. Even when Bieber hits mediocre, he reaches it by stumbling headfirst down a cliff."[117]
Year-end lists
Purpose was featured on several year-end list of best albums. It was listed at number 15 on Spin's "25 Best Pop Albums of 2015" list, with James Grebey stating: "The 21-year-old’s malleable voice (which never lost its halo despite some sinning) has rarely sounded better, especially surrounded by warm tropical beats and thrillingly new-sounding production flourishes."[118]
Critic/Publication | List | Rank | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
Entertainment Weekly | The 40 Best Albums of 2015 | 17 | [119] |
The 10 Best Pop Albums of 2015 | 7 | [120] | |
Fuse | The 20 Best Albums of 2015 | 15 | [121] |
Rolling Stone | 20 Best Pop Albums of 2015 | 11 | [122] |
Spin | The 25 Best Pop Albums of 2015 | 15 | [118] |
Commercial performance
Purpose topped the charts in over 100 countries.[123] In the United States, the competition between Bieber and One Direction began when the British boy band announced the release date of Made in the A.M., set to be their last album before their hiatus in March 2016,[124] which was the same date as Bieber's comeback album. Putting the album on iTunes pre-order one month earlier than Bieber, One Direction started the first week with a 60,000 unit lead.[125] Many compared the "war" between the two pop forces to 50 Cent and Kanye West's 2007 battle for number one.[126][127][128] However, Bieber's Purpose debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart for the week ending November 19, 2015, with 649,000 equivalent album units, of which 522,000 were pure album sales. It marked Bieber's sixth number-one album and largest sales week. It also surpassed his previous high, logged with Believe, which sold 374,000 units in 2012. Additionally, Purpose's debut marked the largest weekly unit total for an album since the Billboard 200 began tracking popularity based on overall equivalent units earned in 2014 and beat the debut week of Drake's If You're Reading This It's Too Late (which sold 535,000 equivalent units in 2015). Also, Purpose's 522,000 mark the largest sales week since Taylor Swift's 1989 debuted with 1.29 million (November 2, 2014) and the largest for a male artist's album since Eminem's The Marshall Mathers LP 2 sold 792,000 (November 3, 2013).[129] Purpose also broke the global and US streaming record for an album in its first week of release with 205 million global streams and 77 million in the United States.[130] In its second week, Purpose earned 290,000 units (down 55 percent). It sold 184,000 in traditional album sales (down 65 percent) and was beaten to the top by Adele's 25, which debuted at number one with a record-breaking 3.38 million.[131] As of December 2015, the album surpassed the 1 million mark in US sales, becoming Bieber's fifth million-selling album.[132] Eventually, the album was announced as the third best-selling album of 2015 in the US, with sales of 1,269,000 copies.[133] As of March 2016, "Purpose" has sold 1.6 million copies.[134]
Purpose debuted at number 2 on the UK Albums Chart, selling 90,596 in its first week, marking the second highest first-week figures of 2015, at the time, behind One Direction's Made in the A.M. (2015), which debuted at number one the same week with 93,189 chart sales.[135] In its second and third week on sale it stayed at number three.[136][137] Purpose was the fifth best-selling album of 2015 in the UK with combined sales of 645,000 copies.[138]
Track listing
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Mark My Words" |
| Blood | 2:14 |
2. | "I'll Show You" |
|
| 3:19 |
3. | "What Do You Mean?" |
|
| 3:25 |
4. | "Sorry" |
|
| 3:20 |
5. | "Love Yourself" |
| 3:53 | |
6. | "Company" |
| 3:28 | |
7. | "No Pressure" (featuring Big Sean) |
| 4:46 | |
8. | "No Sense" (featuring Travis Scott) |
| 4:35 | |
9. | "The Feeling" (featuring Halsey) |
|
| 4:04 |
10. | "Life Is Worth Living" |
|
| 3:54 |
11. | "Where Are Ü Now" (with Diplo and Skrillex) |
|
| 4:02 |
12. | "Children" |
|
| 3:43 |
13. | "Purpose" |
| 3:30 | |
Total length: | 48:13 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
14. | "What Do You Mean? (Remix)" (featuring Ariana Grande) |
|
| 3:24 |
Total length: | 51:37 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
14. | "What Do You Mean?" (Acoustic) |
|
| 3:24 |
Total length: | 51:37 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
14. | "Been You" |
| 3:19 | |
15. | "Get Used to It" |
| 3:58 | |
16. | "We Are" (featuring Nas) |
|
| 3:22 |
17. | "Trust" |
|
| 3:23 |
18. | "All in It" |
| 3:51 | |
Total length: | 66:06 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
19. | "Hit the Ground" |
| 3:48 | |
20. | "The Most" |
|
| 3:20 |
21. | "Home to Mama" (with Cody Simpson) |
|
| 3:23 |
22. | "What Do You Mean?" (music video) |
|
| |
23. | "What Do You Mean?" (lyric video) |
|
|
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
19. | "Hit the Ground" |
| 3:48 | |
20. | "The Most" |
|
| 3:20 |
Total length: | 73:14 |
- Notes
- ^[a] signifies a co-producer
- "Get Used to It" was mislabeled as "Get Used to Me" on early CD pressings.[142]
Charts
Weekly charts
|
Year-end charts
|
Certifications
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Australia (ARIA)[190] | 3× Platinum | 210,000^ |
Austria (IFPI Austria)[191] | Platinum | 15,000* |
Belgium (BEA)[192] | Gold | 15,000* |
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[193] | Diamond | 160,000* |
Canada (Music Canada)[194] | 3× Platinum | 240,000^ |
Central America (CFC)[195] | Gold | 5,000† |
Chile (IFPI Chile)[196] | Platinum | 10,000 |
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[197] | 3× Platinum | 60,000^ |
Germany (BVMI)[198] | Gold | 100,000‡ |
Hungary (MAHASZ)[199] | Gold | 2,000^ |
Italy (FIMI)[200] | Platinum | 50,000* |
Japan | — | 65,000[201][202][203] |
Mexico (AMPROFON)[204] | 3× Platinum | 180,000^ |
New Zealand (RMNZ)[205] | Platinum | 15,000^ |
Poland (ZPAV)[206] | Gold | 10,000‡ |
Portugal (AFP)[207] | Gold | 7,500^ |
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[208] | Platinum | 40,000‡ |
Sweden (GLF)[209] | 2× Platinum | 80,000‡ |
United Kingdom (BPI)[211] | 3× Platinum | 900,000[210] |
United States (RIAA)[212] | 3× Platinum | 1,600,000[134] |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |
Release history
Country | Date | Edition | Format | Label | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Canada | November 13, 2015 | Standard | CD | Universal | [213] |
Japan |
|
|
[214] | ||
United States | [215] | ||||
Canada | November 27, 2015 | Standard | LP | Universal | [216] |
Notes
References
- ^ a b c Cox, Jamieson (November 13, 2015). "Justin Bieber sounds like the future, and One Direction sounds like the past - The Verge". The Verge. Retrieved November 14, 2015.
{{cite web}}
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(help) - ^ "Purpose by Justin Bieber on iTunes". iTunes Store. United Arab Emirates: Apple Inc. November 12, 2015.
{{cite web}}
: templatestyles stripmarker in|website=
at position 1 (help) - ^ "Purpose by Justin Bieber on iTunes". iTunes Store. Saudi Arabia: Apple Inc. November 13, 2015.
{{cite web}}
: templatestyles stripmarker in|website=
at position 1 (help) - ^ "Purpose by Justin Bieber on iTunes". iTunes Store. Indonesia: Apple Inc. November 13, 2015.
{{cite web}}
: templatestyles stripmarker in|website=
at position 1 (help) - ^ "Justin Bieber Purpose album cover banned in Middle East for promoting Christianity". IB Times. October 13, 2015.
- ^ Mackinley, Paige (November 9, 2015). "Music News: Justin Bieber Announces 'Company' Is Next Single From 'Purpose'". The Inquisitr. Retrieved February 21, 2016.
- ^ "Justin Bieber Vows To "Prove Doubters Wrong" While Working On New Music". Capital FM. January 4, 2013. Retrieved November 30, 2015.
- ^ "Justin Bieber Says 'No Break,' Confirms New Album and Movie". Singersroom. June 25, 2013. Retrieved November 30, 2015.
- ^ Vena, Jocelyn (July 8, 2013). "Justin Bieber Will 'Speak For Himself' On Next Album And Movie". MTV News. Retrieved November 30, 2015.
- ^ Coleman, Miriam (December 9, 2013). "Justin Bieber Dropping Limited-Release 'Journals'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved December 22, 2013.
- ^ Reed, Ryan (January 3, 2014). "Justin Bieber Recording New Music in Toronto". Rolling Stone. Retrieved January 29, 2016.
- ^ a b c d Golden, Zara (November 11, 2015). "How Justin Bieber Grew Into Himself, According To Poo Bear". The Fader. Retrieved January 30, 2016.
- ^ Robertson, James (February 14, 2014). "Justin Bieber pulls all-nighter in studio after management intervened to help him focus". Mirror. Retrieved January 29, 2016.
- ^ Rigby, Sam (March 18, 2014). "Justin Bieber teases new song 'Life Is Worth Living' - listen". Digital Spy. Retrieved January 29, 2016.
- ^ "Justin Bieber Promises His "Best Music" Yet As He Continues New Album Work". Capital FM. April 10, 2014. Retrieved January 29, 2016.
- ^ Lee, Christina (May 26, 2014). "Justin Bieber Teases New Song "It's Working": Listen". Idolator. Retrieved January 29, 2016.
- ^ Daw, Robbie (July 24, 2014). "Justin Bieber Posts An Album's Worth Of Song Snippets On Instagram: Listen To All 11 Clips". Idolator. Retrieved January 29, 2016.
- ^ Williot, Carl (May 2, 2014). "Justin Bieber Teases Ariana Grande Duet With Photo Of The Pair In Studio". Idolator. Retrieved January 29, 2016.
- ^ Fleischer, Adam (May 30, 2014). "Justin Bieber Is Making 'The Best R&B Music' T-Pain Has Heard 'In Years'". MTV News. Retrieved January 29, 2016.
- ^ Wass, Mike (June 12, 2014). "Justin Bieber And Cody Simpson Are Collaborating Together: Morning Mix". Idolator. Retrieved January 29, 2016.
- ^ Garibaldi, Christina (September 14, 2013). "Did Justin Bieber And Cody Simpson Have A Photo Shoot For Their Album Cover? See The Pics". MTV News. Retrieved January 30, 2016.
- ^ Atkinson, Katie (November 11, 2014). "Go 'Home to Mama' With Justin Bieber & Cody Simpson: Listen". Billboard. Retrieved January 30, 2016.
- ^ Christ, Shawn (November 17, 2014). "Justin Bieber Worked with Skrillex and Diplo for New Album, DJ SKEE Tells Fans What to Expect [LISTEN]". Music Times. Retrieved January 30, 2016.
- ^ Garibaldi, Christina (December 10, 2014). "Bieber Is Ready For His 'Great Next Chapter' In Music". MTV News. Retrieved January 30, 2016.
- ^ Lpishut, Jason (December 31, 2014). "Justin Bieber, Scooter Braun Hint at 2015 Album". Billboard. Retrieved January 30, 2016.
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- ^ a b c della Cava, Marco (March 29, 2015). "Bieber exclusive: 'My life is not easy'". USA Today. Retrieved January 30, 2016.
- ^ a b Radio.com Staff (July 29, 2015). "Justin Bieber's New Single is Called 'What Do You Mean'". Radio.com. Retrieved January 30, 2016.
- ^ Geffen, Sasha (November 11, 2015). "Skrillex Opens Up About Working With Justin Bieber: 'His Album Is So Honest'". MTV News. Retrieved January 30, 2016.
- ^ a b c d e Benjamin, Jeff (November 13, 2015). "The Complete Guide to Justin Bieber's Purpose Album: Listen Now! - Fuse". Fuse. Retrieved January 30, 2016.
- ^ a b c Lipshut, Jason (August 27, 2015). "Everything We Know About Justin Bieber's Comeback Album". Billboard. Retrieved January 30, 2016.
- ^ Lipshut, Jason (October 23, 2015). "Justin Bieber & Halsey Duet Teased by Scooter Braun on Twitter - Fuse". Fuse. Retrieved January 30, 2016.
- ^ "Ed Sheeran Wrote Song for Justin Bieber's New Album, but Not One Direction's". ABC News. October 1, 2015. Retrieved January 30, 2016.
- ^ a b c d e f Partridge, Kenneth (November 13, 2015). "Justin Bieber Proves His Growth on 'Purpose' Review". Billboard. Retrieved November 17, 2015.
- ^ a b c d e f g Lewis, Casey (November 13, 2015). "Purpose Is the Comeback Album Justin Bieber Needed". Teen Vogue. Retrieved January 31, 2016.
- ^ a b c d e f "Justin Bieber 'Purpose' Album Review, Track-by-Track". Universal Music Canada. November 13, 2015. Retrieved January 31, 2016.
- ^ a b c d e f g Pearce, Sheldon (November 16, 2015). "Review: Justin Bieber's New Album Will Almost Make You Forgive Him for His Troubled Past". Complex. Retrieved January 31, 2016.
- ^ a b c d e f g C. Mac, Sam (November 16, 2015). "Justin Bieber: Purpose | Album Revew | Slant Magazine". Slant Magazine. Retrieved January 31, 2016.
- ^ a b c d e f Nelson, Brad (November 17, 2015). "Justin Bieber: Purpose | Album Reviews | Pitchfork". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved January 31, 2016.
- ^ a b c Kellman, Andy. "Purpose - Justin Bieber | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved January 4, 2016.
- ^ a b c d Davidson, Amy (November 12, 2015). "Justin Bieber Purpose review: Track-by-track with his best album yet". Digital Spy. Retrieved January 31, 2016.
- ^ a b c Greenblatt, Leah (November 11, 2015). "From Boys to Men: EW reviews Justin Bieber and One Direction's new albums". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved November 14, 2015.
- ^ a b c d e f Zaleski, Annie (November 13, 2015). "Justin Bieber's comeback narrative has a few plot holes". The A.V. Club. Retrieved January 31, 2016.
- ^ Garibaldi, Christina (August 25, 2015). "How Skrillex And Diplo Turned Justin Bieber's Ballad Into A Hit". MTV News. Retrieved January 31, 2016.
- ^ a b c Unterberger, Andrew (November 16, 2015). "Review: Sorry Seems to Be the Easiest Word for Justin Bieber on 'Purpose'". Spin. Retrieved January 31, 2016.
- ^ Macpherson, Alex (November 26, 2015). "Album review: Does 'Purpose' establish Justin Bieber as now cool?". The National. Retrieved February 1, 2016.
- ^ a b c Sullivan, Caroline (November 12, 2015). "Justin Bieber: Purpose review – a look back and a fresh start". The Guardian. Retrieved November 14, 2015.
- ^ a b Empire, Kitty (November 15, 2015). "Justin Bieber: Purpose review – a grown-up sorry. Sort of". The Observer. The Guardian. Retrieved February 1, 2016.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Holz, Adam R. "Purpose Album Review (2015) | Plugged In". Plugged In. Retrieved February 1, 2016.
- ^ a b c d Ryan, Patrick (November 13, 2015). "Album of the week: Justin Bieber finds 'Purpose'". USA Today. Retrieved February 1, 2016.
- ^ a b Gracie, Bianca (November 16, 2015). "Justin Bieber's 'Purpose': Album Review". Idolator. Retrieved February 1, 2016.
- ^ Schaults, Janine (November 18, 2015). "Justin Bieber – Purpose". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved February 1, 2016.
- ^ a b c Horner, Al (November 12, 2015). "NME Reviews – Justin Bieber – 'Purpose' | NME.COM". NME. Retrieved November 14, 2015.
- ^ Brow, Jason (March 30, 2015). "Justin Bieber's New Album: Taking His Time So It Will Be 'Perfect'". Hollywood Life. Retrieved February 1, 2016.
- ^ Leeds, Sarena (September 3, 2015). "Justin Bieber Has a Drum-Off With Questlove, Announces Album Release Date on 'Tonight Show'". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved February 1, 2016.
- ^ Lipshut, Jason (October 2, 2015). "Is This Justin Bieber's New Album Title?". Billboard. Retrieved February 2, 2016.
- ^ Verhoeven, Beatrice (October 9, 2015). "Justin Bieber Reveals New Album Title and Cover Art". The Wrap. Retrieved February 2, 2016.
- ^ "Justin Bieber 'Purpose' Preorder Features Ariana Grande Duet". Billboard. Retrieved October 16, 2015.
- ^ Fitz-Gerald, Sean (October 29, 2015). "Justin Bieber Revealed All His Purpose Tracks and Collaborators With Pics of Graffiti-Art Murals". Vulture.com. Retrieved February 2, 2016.
- ^ "Justin Bieber on his "Purpose" and His Old Music". YouTube. Zach Sang. Retrieved February 2, 2016.
- ^ Hosken, Patrick (October 9, 2015). "Here's Justin Bieber's Purpose-Ful New Album Artwork". MTV News. Retrieved February 2, 2016.
- ^ a b Jackson, Vanessa (November 13, 2015). "What Does Justin Bieber's 'Purpose' Symbol Mean? The Artist Who Created It Might Hold Clues". Bustle. Retrieved February 2, 2016.
- ^ "Justin Bieber's 'Purpose' Album Banned in Muslim Countries Over Jesus Cover". Christian Post. United States: The Christian Post. October 17, 2015. Retrieved October 18, 2015.
- ^ Martins, Chris (November 5, 2015). "Billboard Cover: Justin Bieber Says 'I Was Close to Letting Fame Destroy Me'". Retrieved February 2, 2016.
- ^ La Puma, Joe. "Justin Bieber Interview (2015 Cover Story)". Complex. Retrieved February 2, 2016.
- ^ Stewart, Martha (July 7, 2015). "Justin Bieber - Page - Interview Magazine". Interview Magazine. Retrieved February 2, 2016.
- ^ Flynn, Paul (November 26, 2015). "justin bieber exclusive interview, shoot and video: the teen idol comes of age in spectacular style". i-D. Retrieved February 2, 2016.
- ^ Howard, Tom (November 13, 2015). "Justin Bieber: The Full NME Cover Story". NME. Retrieved February 2, 2016.
- ^ "Where Are U Now/What Do You Mean? (Live)". MTV. United States: MTV. September 23, 2015. Retrieved October 9, 2015.
- ^ Gracie, Bianca (September 29, 2015). "Justin Bieber Performs "What Do You Mean?" On 'The X Factor Australia': Watch". Idolator. Retrieved February 2, 2016.
- ^ Lallo, Michael (September 28, 2015). "Justin Bieber fans turn the volume down and the adoration up at rooftop performance". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved February 2, 2016.
- ^ Bacle, Ariana (September 10, 2015). "See Justin Bieber dance through the rain on the Today show". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved February 2, 2016.
- ^ Kaye, Ben (September 3, 2015). "Justin Bieber and The Roots perform "What Do You Mean?" on Fallon — watch". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved February 2, 2016.
- ^ Malach, Meggie (September 11, 2015). "Justin Bieber Opens Think It Up Telecast With "What Do You Mean" Performance". Bustle. Retrieved February 2, 2016.
- ^ Lindner, Emilee (October 25, 2015). "Watch Justin Bieber Smash His EMA Performance — Broken Ear Drum And All". MTV News. Retrieved February 2, 2016.
- ^ Lee, Christina (November 8, 2015). "Adele, Coldplay, Justin Bieber And Major Lazer Perform NRJ Music Awards 2015: Watch". Retrieved February 2, 2016.
- ^ "Justin Bieber Performs 'What Do You Mean' at Radio 1 Teen Awards: Watch". Billboard. November 9, 2015. Retrieved February 2, 2016.
- ^ "Justin Bieber | Ellen Tube". EllenTube.com. Retrieved February 2, 2016.
- ^ "Watch Now: A Full Recap of #BieberWeek So Far on Ellen". Universal Music Canada. Retrieved February 2, 2016.
- ^ Kreps, Daniel (November 18, 2015). "Watch Justin Bieber's Intimate 'Sorry' With the Roots". Rolling Stone. Retrieved February 2, 2016.
- ^ Norwin, Alyssa (November 18, 2015). "Justin Bieber Rocks The Plaza With Hits From 'Purpose': Epic 'Today' Show Concert". Hollywood Life. Retrieved February 2, 2016.
- ^ Adams, Char (November 23, 2015). "Singing (and Dancing) in the Rain! Justin Bieber Closes Out AMAs with Wet and Wild Performance". People. Retrieved February 2, 2016.
- ^ "We're ALL Beliebers Now! Justin Bieber Closes Our #CapitalJBB With An INCREDIBLE Live Show!". Capital FM. December 6, 2015. Retrieved February 2, 2016.
- ^ a b O'Malley, Maura (November 14, 2015). "What Is Justin Bieber's 'Purpose: The Movement'? The Music Video Series Will Be The Highlight Of Your Weekend". Bustle. Retrieved February 4, 2016.
- ^ Real, Evan (November 14, 2016). "Justin Bieber Releases a Music Video For Each Song on His New Album 'Purpose'". Elle. Retrieved February 4, 2016.
- ^ "Justin Bieber Details Massive North American 'Purpose' Tour". Rolling Stone. November 11, 2015. Retrieved November 11, 2015.
- ^ "Justin Bieber Announces New Single "What Do You Mean?". On November 6, 2015 he released the second single "No Pressure"". ET. United States: ET. July 29, 2015. Retrieved October 9, 2015.
- ^ Lipshut, Jason (August 21, 2015). "Justin Bieber's 'What Do You Mean': Inside The Star-Studded Social Media Campaign". Billboard. Retrieved February 1, 2016.
- ^ Trust, Gary (September 13, 2015). "Ask Billboard: Canada Heats Up the US Charts". Billboard. United States: Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved September 13, 2015.
- ^ Ryan, Gavin. "Justin Bieber makes #1 debut with 'What Do You Mean'". ARIA Charts. Retrieved February 1, 2016.
- ^ Copsey, Rob (September 5, 2015). "Justin Bieber breaks Official Charts record with his first UK Number 1 What Do You Mean". The Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 1, 2016.
- ^ a b c d e All citations concerning the chart position of the singles from Purpose:
- "What Do You Mean? by Justin Bieber - Music Charts". Music Charts. Retrieved February 1, 2016.
- "Sorry by Justin Bieber - Music Charts". Music Charts. Retrieved February 1, 2016.
- "Love Yourself by Justin Bieber - Music Charts". Music Charts. Retrieved February 1, 2016.
- "I'll Show You by Justin Bieber - Music Charts". Music Charts. Retrieved February 1, 2016.
- "Where Are Ü Now by Skrillex, Diplo feat. Justin Bieber - Music Charts". Music Charts. Retrieved February 1, 2016.
- ^ Strecker, Erin (August 28, 2015). "Justin Bieber Shares Preview of 'What Do You Mean?' Music Video, Announces It Will Premiere After VMAs". Billboard. Retrieved February 1, 2016.
- ^ Garibaldi, Christina (October 16, 2015). "Justin Bieber Hints At Purpose Collaborations With Drake And The Weeknd". MTV News. Retrieved February 1, 2016.
- ^ "Justin Bieber Reveals Skrillex Collab 'Sorry' Coming This Week". Billboard. Retrieved October 19, 2015.
- ^ "Sorry | Justin Bieber". JustinBieber.com. Retrieved February 4, 2016.
- ^ Spanos, Brittany (October 22, 2015). "Watch Justin Bieber's Colorful Dance Video for 'Sorry'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved February 1, 2016.
- ^ Trust, Gary (January 25, 2016). "Justin Bieber Nos. 1 & 2 on Hot 100, The Chainsmokers Hit Top 10". Billboard. Retrieved February 1, 2016.
- ^ Thompson, Eliza (November 9, 2015). "Listen to Justin Bieber's New Song, Cowritten by Ed Sheeran". Cosmopolitan. Retrieved February 1, 2016.
- ^ "Love Yourself | Justin Bieber". JustinBieber.com. Retrieved February 4, 2016.
- ^ "Adele's 'Hello' Leads Hot 100 For a Sixh Week". Billboard. Retrieved December 19, 2015.
- ^ Brandle, Lars (January 31, 2016). "Justin Bieber, Adele Knocked from Summit of Australia's Charts". Billboard. Retrieved February 1, 2016.
- ^ Myers, Justin (January 15, 2016). "Justin Bieber's Love Yourself scores sixth week at Number 1". The Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 1, 2016.
- ^ Trust, Gary (February 1, 2016). "Justin Bieber Replaces Himself at No. 1 on Hot 100 With 'Love Yourself'". Billboard. Retrieved February 1, 2016.
- ^ Mackinley, Paige (November 9, 2015). "Music News: Justin Bieber Announces 'Company' Is Next Single From 'Purpose'". The Inquisitr. Retrieved February 21, 2016.
- ^ "I'll Show You | Justin Bieber". JustinBieber.com. Retrieved February 4, 2016.
- ^ Marquina, Sierra (November 2, 2015). "Justin Bieber Strips Down to Tighty-Whities in Emotional "I'll Show You" Music Video". Us Magazine. Retrieved February 1, 2016.
- ^ Lipshut, Jason (July 10, 2015). "Justin Bieber's Reclamation Project Begins with 'Where Are U Now'". Billboard. Retrieved February 1, 2016.
- ^ "Justin Bieber tops UK singles chart and breaks top 40 record – BBC News". BBC. Retrieved November 20, 2015.
- ^ "Justin Bieber dethrones Adele with Sorry and breaks all-time Official Chart record". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 20, 2015.
- ^ a b c "Purpose by Justin Bieber". Metacritic. Retrieved January 4, 2016.
- ^ Sheffield, Rob (December 1, 2015). "Justin Bieber Purpose Album Review | Rolling Stone". Rolling Stone. Retrieved February 2, 2016.
- ^ Gracie, Bianca (November 13, 2015). "Justin Bieber's 'Purpose' Album: Review Revue". Idolator. Retrieved February 4, 2016.
- ^ "Justin Bieber Proves His Growth on 'Purpose': Album Review". Billboard. Retrieved November 14, 2015.
- ^ "Justin Bieber and One Direction's new albums: 'biting the hand that feeds them'". The Telegraph. Retrieved November 14, 2015.
- ^ Caramanica, Jon (November 12, 2015). "On New Albums, Justin Bieber and One Direction Are Joyless Boys". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved November 14, 2015.
- ^ Schaults, Janine (November 28, 2015). "Justin Bieber – Purpose". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved February 17, 2016.
- ^ a b Spinn Staff (December 7, 2015). "25 Best Pop Albums 2015". Spin. Retrieved December 11, 2015.
- ^ "The 40 Best Albums of 2015". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved December 31, 2015.
- ^ O'Donnell, Kevin; Greenblatt, Leah (December 23, 2015). "The 10 best pop albums of 2015". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved February 4, 2016.
- ^ Fuse Staff (December 8, 2015). "The 20 Best Albums of 2015: Adele, Kendrick Lammar, Justin Bieber, Drake & More - Fuse". Fuse. Retrieved February 4, 2016.
- ^ Rolling Stone Staff (December 18, 2015). "20 Best Pop Albums of 2015". Rolling Stone. Retrieved January 23, 2016.
- ^ Thompsom, Simon (December 9, 2015). "Justin Bieber Finds His Purpose And His Biggest Payday Yet". Forbes. Retrieved January 11, 2016.
- ^ "One Direction 'to go separate ways in March' following 5th album". the Guardian. Retrieved January 4, 2016.
- ^ "Report: 1D's "Made In The AM" iTunes Pre-Orders Top 170K; Justin Bieber's "Purpose" Crosses 110K". Headline Planet. Retrieved January 4, 2016.
- ^ Nolan Feeney. "Justin Bieber-One Direction New Album Showdown: What to Know". TIME.com. Retrieved January 4, 2016.
- ^ Marianne Zumberge. "Justin Bieber Tops One Direction on U.S. Album Chart With 'Purpose' - Variety". Variety. Retrieved January 4, 2016.
- ^ "Justin Bieber Heading for Sixth No. 1 Album on Billboard 200 as He Pulls Ahead of One Direction". Billboard. Retrieved January 4, 2016.
- ^ Caulfield, Keith (November 22, 2015). "Justin Bieber Scores Sixth No. 1 Album on Billboard 200 Chart With 'Purpose'". Billboard. Retrieved November 22, 2015.
- ^ Colin, Stutz (November 20, 2015). "Justin Bieber Brakes Spotify Record Week 1 Streaming Record". Billboard. Retrieved November 22, 2015.
- ^ Caulfiel, Keith (November 29, 2015). "Adele's '25' Debuts at No. 1 on Billboard 200 Albums Chart, '21' Returns to Top 10". Billboard. Retrieved December 6, 2015.
- ^ Caulfield, Keith (December 21, 2015). "Justin Bieber's 'Purpose' Becomes His Fifth Million-Selling Album in U.S." Billboard. Retrieved December 21, 2015.
- ^ Caulfield, Keith. "Adele's '25' Rules as Nielsen Music's Top Album of 2015 in U.S." Billboard. Retrieved January 5, 2015.
- ^ a b Trust, Gary (March 14, 2016). "Justin Bieber Scores First Adult Pop Songs No. 1 With 'Love Yourself'". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved March 14, 2016.
- ^ "One Direction vs Justin Bieber: How this week's album chart race was won". November 20, 2015. Retrieved November 21, 2015.
- ^ "Adele's 25 is officially the UK's biggest selling Number 1 album ever". November 27, 2015. Retrieved December 6, 2015.
- ^ "Adele's 25 logs a second week at Number 1 with bumper sales". December 4, 2015. Retrieved December 6, 2015.
- ^ Copsey, Rob (January 5, 2016). "The Official Top 40 Biggest Artist Albums of 2015 revealed". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 6, 2016.
- ^ a b c All citations concerning the worldwide release of Purpose:
- "Purpose by Justin Bieber on iTunes". iTunes Store. Canada: Apple Inc. November 13, 2015.
{{cite web}}
: templatestyles stripmarker in|website=
at position 1 (help) - "Purpose (Deluxe) by Justin Bieber on iTunes". iTunes Store. Canada: Apple Inc. November 13, 2015.
{{cite web}}
: templatestyles stripmarker in|website=
at position 1 (help) - "Purpose by Justin Bieber on iTunes". iTunes Store (in French). France: Apple Inc. November 13, 2015.
{{cite web}}
: templatestyles stripmarker in|website=
at position 1 (help) - "Purpose (Deluxe) by Justin Bieber on iTunes". iTunes Store (in French). France: Apple Inc. November 13, 2015.
{{cite web}}
: templatestyles stripmarker in|website=
at position 1 (help) - "Purpose by Justin Bieber on iTunes". iTunes Store (in Japanese). Japan: Apple Inc. November 13, 2015.
{{cite web}}
: templatestyles stripmarker in|website=
at position 1 (help) - "Purpose by Justin Bieber on iTunes". iTunes Store. Saudi Arabia: Apple Inc. November 13, 2015.
{{cite web}}
: templatestyles stripmarker in|website=
at position 1 (help) - "Purpose (Deluxe) by Justin Bieber on iTunes". iTunes Store. Saudi Arabia: Apple Inc. November 13, 2015.
{{cite web}}
: templatestyles stripmarker in|website=
at position 1 (help) - "Purpose by Justin Bieber on iTunes". iTunes Store. United Kingdom: Apple Inc. November 13, 2015.
{{cite web}}
: templatestyles stripmarker in|website=
at position 1 (help) - "Purpose (Deluxe) by Justin Bieber on iTunes". iTunes Store. United Kingdom: Apple Inc. November 13, 2015.
{{cite web}}
: templatestyles stripmarker in|website=
at position 1 (help) - "Purpose by Justin Bieber on iTunes". iTunes Store. United States: Apple Inc. November 13, 2015.
{{cite web}}
: templatestyles stripmarker in|website=
at position 1 (help) - "Purpose (Deluxe) by Justin Bieber on iTunes". iTunes Store. United States: Apple Inc. November 13, 2015.
{{cite web}}
: templatestyles stripmarker in|website=
at position 1 (help) - "Justin Bieber – Purpose [Deluxe Edition] – Amazon.com Music". United States: Amazon.com. November 13, 2015.
- "Purpose by Justin Bieber on iTunes". iTunes Store. Canada: Apple Inc. November 13, 2015.
- ^ Frydenlund, Zach (October 16, 2015). "Justin Bieber's 'Purpose' Album Will Feature Nas, Ariana Grande, Travi$ Scott, Mike Dean, and More". Complex. Retrieved October 16, 2015.
- ^ "パーパス~デラックス・エディション - ジャスティン・ビーバー - UNIVERSAL MUSIC STORE". UM. Retrieved January 4, 2016.
- ^ Deen, Sarah (November 18, 2015). "Bieber on Capital: 15 things we learnt about Justin Bieber from Justin Bieber | Metro News". Metro.co.uk. Retrieved November 22, 2015.
- ^ "Los discos más vendidos". Diario de Cultura. ILHSA Grupo. Retrieved December 19, 2015.
- ^ "Australiancharts.com – Justin Bieber – Purpose". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 21, 2015.
- ^ "Austriancharts.at – Justin Bieber – Purpose" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved November 26, 2015.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – Justin Bieber – Purpose" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved November 21, 2015.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – Justin Bieber – Purpose" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved November 21, 2015.
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- ^ "Czech Albums – Top 100". ČNS IFPI. Note: On the chart page, select 47.Týden 2015 on the field besides the words "CZ – ALBUMS – TOP 100" to retrieve the correct chart. Retrieved November 24, 2015.
- ^ "Danishcharts.dk – Justin Bieber – Purpose". Hung Medien. Retrieved January 6, 2016.
- ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Justin Bieber – Purpose" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved November 21, 2015.
- ^ "Justin Bieber: Purpose" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved January 18, 2015.
- ^ "Lescharts.com – Justin Bieber – Purpose". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 22, 2015.
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- ^ "Top-75 Albums Sales Chart Week: 51/2015". IFPI Greece. Archived from the original on December 31, 2015. Retrieved January 4, 2015.
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- ^ "GFK Chart-Track Albums: Week 01, 2016". Chart-Track. IRMA. Retrieved January 9, 2016.
- ^ "Italiancharts.com – Justin Bieber – Purpose". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 21, 2015.
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- ^ "South Korea Circle International Album Chart". On the page, select "2015.11.08~2015.11.14" to obtain the corresponding chart. Circle Chart Retrieved November 23, 2015.
- ^ "Top Album - Semanal (del 13 de Noviembre al 19 de Noviembre)". Amprofon. Retrieved December 19, 2015.
- ^ "Charts.nz – Justin Bieber – Purpose". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 20, 2015.
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- ^ "Oficjalna lista sprzedaży :: OLiS - Official Retail Sales Chart". OLiS. Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 7 January 2016.
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- ^ "SA Top 20 - 23 Januarie 2016" (in Afrikaans). RISA. Archived from the original on January 25, 2016. Retrieved January 25, 2016.
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- ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Justin Bieber – Purpose". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 21, 2015.
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- ^ "Justin Bieber Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved November 24, 2015.
- ^ McCabe, Kathy. "ARIA chart for 2015 reveal the most popular music that Australia loves to turn up the volume on". The Advertiser. Retrieved January 6, 2016.
- ^ "Ö3 Austria Top 40 Jahrescharts 2015: Longplay". Retrieved January 4, 2016.
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- ^ http://www.irma.ie/#verticalTab2
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- ^ Copsey, Rob (January 5, 2016). "The Official Top 40 Biggest Artist Albums of 2015 revealed". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 5, 2016.
- ^ Ryan, Gavin (April 2, 2016). "ARIA Albums: Zayn Has the No 1 Album in Australia". Noise11. Retrieved April 2, 2016.
- ^ "Austrian album certifications – Justin Bieber – Purpose" (in German). IFPI Austria.
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- ^ "Brazilian album certifications – Justin Bieber – Purpose" (in Portuguese). Pro-Música Brasil.
- ^ "Canadian album certifications – Justin Bieber – Purpose". Music Canada.
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- ^ "Justin Bieber consiguió disco de platino en Chile con su disco Purpose". http://www.tumedio.cl (in Spanish). http://www.tumedio.cl. november 2015. Retrieved 2 december 2015.
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- ^ "Danish album certifications – Justin Bieber – Purpose". IFPI Danmark.
- ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Justin Bieber; 'Purpose')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie.
- ^ "Adatbázis – Arany- és platinalemezek – 2016" (in Hungarian). MAHASZ.
- ^ "Italian album certifications – Justin Bieber – Purpose" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved April 4, 2015. Select "2016" in the "Anno" drop-down menu. Type "Purpose" in the "Filtra" field. Select "Album e Compilation" under "Sezione".
- ^ "Oricon Album Chart - 2015 December Monthly" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved January 7, 2016.
- ^ "Oricon Album Chart - 2015 November Monthly" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved January 7, 2016.
- ^ "Oricon Album Chart - 2016 January Monthly" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved February 7, 2016.
- ^ "Certificaciones" (in Spanish). Asociación Mexicana de Productores de Fonogramas y Videogramas.
- ^ "New Zealand album certifications – Justin Bieber – Purpose". Recorded Music NZ.[dead link ]
- ^ "Wyróżnienia – Złote płyty CD - Archiwum - Przyznane w 2016 roku" (in Polish). Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry.
- ^ AT LEAST ONE OF certyear OR id MUST BE PROVIDED for Portuguese CERTIFICATION.
- ^ "Spanish album certifications – Justin Bieber – Purpose". El portal de Música. Productores de Música de España.
- ^ certweek IS REQUIRED FOR SWEDISH CERTIFICATIONS.
- ^ Jones, Alan (March 18, 2016). "Official Charts Analysis: Adele's 25 holds on to top spot despite sales dip". Music Week. Intent Media. Retrieved March 18, 2016.
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- ^ "American album certifications – Justin Bieber – Purpose". Recording Industry Association of America.
- ^ https://www.amazon.ca/Purpose-Justin-Bieber/dp/B016AM4BD8
- ^ Release of Purpose in Japan:
- CD (standard): http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/product/UICD-6216
- CD+DVD (deluxe): http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/product/UICD-9079
- ^ Release of Purpose in the United States:
- CD (standard): http://www.amazon.com/Purpose-Justin-Bieber/dp/B016AM4BD8
- CD (deluxe): http://www.amazon.com/Purpose-Deluxe-Justin-Bieber/dp/B016AM4BFQ
- Digital download (standard): https://www.amazon.com/Purpose-Justin-Bieber/dp/B016PIPJ8I
- Digital download (deluxe): https://www.amazon.com/Purpose-Deluxe-Justin-Bieber/dp/B016PIPIIO
- LP (standard): http://www.amazon.com/Purpose-2-LP-Justin-Bieber/dp/B016BYAEAO
- ^ https://www.amazon.ca/Purpose-Vinyl-Justin-Bieber/dp/B016BYAEAO