Within two months of release,
My World
went platinum and two of its singles hit the Top 20, making
Justin Bieber
an almost inescapable teen pop phenomenon. This ten-song disc, which follows its seven-song predecessor by just over four months, is intended to be the second half of his debut rather than a true follow-up. It's a shrewd ploy that benefits his insatiable following -- much of which could be into something else by 2011-2012 -- and, in turn, his sales. The two releases are certainly of a piece, filled with upbeat R&B-flavored pop songs with a few ballads that might be termed adult contemporary if the singer happened to be of age.
Bieber
makes all the right, charming moves for a teen, and he covers all the bases. The dance-pop songs are light on the ears yet memorable; the unrequited material sounds deeply felt; the ballads have all the necessary us-against-the-world teen-love dramatics (though the references in
"Stuck in the Moment,"
featuring Bonnie & Clyde and
Sonny & Cher
among other doomed couples, make zero sense on a song voiced by a peppy 16-year-old in 2010). As with
, everything is age-appropriate. "She says she needs a little company," sung with the slightest wink in the eye, is as racy as it gets, and even then,
projects an image that is utterly harmless. ~ Andy Kellman