Justin Bieber – Yummy

(This article was originally written for WRSU.)

After a relatively quiet 2019, Justin Bieber is back with a new song, “Yummy,” which marks the start of his 2020 album roll-out. As the first song revealed off of Bieber’s first album in five years, this new single is all about giving off the right first impression. Unfortunately, “Yummy” entirely fails to impress.

Justin Bieber has had a tumultuous career from the start and is undoubtedly a very problematic person. The world has watched him grow – or rather, stumble – out of his childhood image into a grown man, constantly in the news for one misstep or another. Still, he has a strong fanbase that’s long been awaiting the singer’s comeback, five years older and more mature. Despite all the hype leading up to it, “Yummy” was a disappointment to put it mildly. It felt like a failed attempt by Bieber to present a mature, sexy side to himself. The lazy beat and uninspired lyrics make the song perfect for anyone with the attention span and intellectual capacity of a fruit fly. And even if you can get past the mind-numbing boredom the song causes, it’s hard to get past the utter cringe of hearing the word “yummy” – practically another “moist” – sang on loop.

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind the occasional sexy, shallow song. For lack of a better word, it’s a vibe. But the song has to match the singer, otherwise it just doesn’t work. And Bieber’s voice does not match this song at all. He sounds more like a teenager trying to make the next viral Tik Tok hit than a seasoned artist releasing his first song in five years. After the gorgeous album that Purpose was, “Yummy” is a steep drop in quality and my expectations for Bieber in 2020 have similarly plummeted.

This year, Bieber plans on touring the US with his new album and also has a documentary series coming called Justin Bieber: Seasons. He says in the trailer that this upcoming album will be different because of where he’s at in life. But if “Yummy” is any indicator of what he meant by that, I likely won’t be tuning in to listen.