With a new sound and look to match, Justin Bieber exemplifies his musical growth to fans, skeptics, and critics with the release of his fourth studio album, “Purpose”.  

The week of Nov. 13, 2015 was the same album release week for another high profile musical act: One Direction, who debuted their fifth studio album Made In The A.M.

With the two albums going head to head in a media-deemed ‘sales race,’ Purpose came out on top debuting at the number 1 position on the Billboard Hot 200 and selling over 640,000 copies in its first week of release, roughly 180,000 more copies than Made In The A.M. Purpose marked Bieber’s fourth number-one album and largest sales week, surpassing his previous high, Believe, which sold 374,000 units in 2012.

Bieber broke several records with the release of Purpose. He became the first male act since 1980 to have three top five songs on the UK Singles Chart at the same time with “Sorry,” “Love Yourself” and “What Do You Mean?”, charting at No. 1, No. 3 and No. 5 respectively. The following week of the album’s release, Justin Bieber broke the record for most songs in the Billboard Hot 100 chart, with 17 songs, a feat previously held by the Beatles and Drake with 14 songs. The 22-year-old artist became the youngest male artist to debut at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, earning him a Guinness World Record plaque. Purpose also went on to become the fastest album to reach one billion streams.

Bieber was discovered in 2007 at 12 years old, when talent manager Scooter Braun discovered one of his YouTube acoustic covers by accident. In a span of three years, Bieber rose to prominence in 2010 with the release of his international hit, “Baby” featuring rapper Ludacris.

Since being in the public eye, Bieber has been notorious in the media for his actions, commentary and immature behavior. His negative reputation is said to reflect in his music, where Bieber was perceived to having a ‘childish, bubbly sound’ by critics. The public and celebrities alike have voiced their opinions on Bieber’s reputation, and his face has been a tabloid favorite for years.

Purpose showcases a more unique sound than Bieber’s previous three albums. The album is composed with a consistent palette of lush, rhythmic electro dance sounds all while incorporating a strong bass element and synthesizer beats. Bieber also collaborates with different artists on the albums ranging from hip hop artists like Big Sean and Travis Scott to electropop up and comer Halsey. With a new, mature sound to his name, Bieber uses Purpose as an evolution from teen pop sensation to R&B up-and-comer for the modern age.

“Purpose is different than any album Bieber’s ever released. He has more feeling with this album, and he has a deeper connection with his fans that is shown through his new songs,” said Helena Batukuemi, sophomore.

Bieber addresses more personal themes with Purpose. Inspired by negative aspects of his past such as his critique in the media, his illegal activity, and most predominately his highly publicized relationship with singer and actress Selena Gomez, Bieber transfers his past mistakes and situations into more heartfelt music than ever before. The album opener “Mark My Words” is the first of several emotion-driven songs on Purpose. The fluttery, R&B-influenced track finds the singer pleading for a long-suffering ex to reconcile with him. “So you heard it all before,” he acknowledges in the song’s first verse before declaring, “I won’t let me lose you and I won’t let us just fade away.”

“I think I’ve grown over the years mentally, physically, and spiritually, just taking time for myself and getting better at what I do. I think that if you’re not growing, you’re not living,” said Bieber in an interview with iHeartRadio.

“What Do You Mean?” is the lead promotional single on Bieber’s album. Starting July 28, Bieber went on a 30 day social media campaign having stars like Ed Sheeran, Kylie Jenner, Tony Hawk, and more hold up signs in Instagram photos, notifying the public of the number of days leading up to the lead single’s release.

Behind the record breaking sales and chart topping songs, Bieber attempts to prove a point with Purpose’s release. His transition from teen pop to an R&B type vibe is evident in the new album, and in interviews, Bieber makes it clear that he’s trying to change the negative perceptions that the public may have of him due to his past activities. Purpose had played a significant part in Bieber’s transition to mature music, and fans are anticipating what he has in store next.

“Purpose is such an amazing album. The songs have really nice and deeper meaning to them. He took a risk with releasing it which was a risk worth taking. I love it. I think it’s his best album yet,” Batukuemi said.