All the Beliebers are watching their calendars, holding their collective breaths, for June 19: the date when “Believe,” the new album from Justin Bieber comes out.
As has occurred the past two weeks, today we get a new song from the album in advance of its release. This time, it”s “As Long As You Love Me,” featuring Big Sean, and it has nothing to do with the Backstreet Boys song of the same name. A 90-second snippet appeared on iTunes on Monday. Listen to it here.
No, on this one, which features a slow, stuttering, electro-clash chorus, Bieber seems to be in an Olympic frame of mind, as he warbles: As long as you love me, I”ll be your platinum, I”ll be your silver, I”ll be your gold.” He”s so crazy for the girl, that it doesn”t matter if they”re homeless or broke. Please he manages to work in Destiny”s Child into the lyrics.
Big Sean comes in with a rap that further backs up the “love is all that matters theme,” and he”s got it bad for his lady, who”s his “hallelujah.”
As with the three songs we”ve heard previously, Bieber is all about the love on this album. Each song, whether it”s “Boyfriend,” “Die in Your Arms,” or “All Around the World” featuring Ludacris, has celebrated love of some kind, whether it be romantic or universal. What”s been missing, and we”ll know better when we hear the rest of the album next week, is something that feels like a stone-cold radio smash. As Billboard reported last week, after “Boyfriend”s” stellar start, it slipped back down the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, but Bieber”s label fought and pushed that rock back uphill to get radio to give it another chance.
As we”ve previously written, for all his success-including recently selling out his forthcoming arena tour-Bieber has not become a radio star. We”ll see if it happens with the tracks from “Believe.”
We”re holding off grading “As Long As You Love Me” until we get the full song on Tuesday.