When I chose Justin Bieber for my weekly secular artist review, all I knew about his music was that he is an extremely popular tween heartthrob with a high voice.  Seriously, that's all I knew about him.  I have a fourteen year old sister who happens to be a fan of Justin's music, just like millions of other Christian and non-Christian teens and preteens around the world.  Because of this, I chose to review Bieber's music so that my sister and girls like her could have a Christian viewpoint on this popular new artist. 

Quick Bio-
Sixteen year old Justin Bieber grew up in Ontario, Canada with his single mom.  He started posting videos on his YouTube channel when he was twelve.  He taught himself how to play piano, guitar, drums, and trumpet.  Soon after his widespread YouTube fame, he was discovered by Scooter Braun of So So Def, sang for Usher, and was signed to Island Records in October of 2008.  Justin's first single, "One Time," went platinum in Canada and the United States.  "Baby", another single of Justin's that features Ludacris, has charted at number five in the United States and made the top ten in six other countries.  There was an incident at Roosevelt Field Mall in Long Island, where Bieber was supposed to perform but had to cancel last minute, and three thousand crazed fans mobbed the area, leaving several with minor injuries.  There is no doubt that Bieber is an international fad right now.  He has become the youngest male solo artist to top the chart since Stevie Wonder. 

"My World," Justin's first album, contains mostly lighthearted lyrics with a few "iffy" points that I would like to highlight.  In "Favorite Girl," Justin describes his devotion to a potential girl friend.  It's a lighthearted, happy song.  My only critique is that he mentions frequently that the girl is his "prized possession," which can potentially make young girls feel that they belong to their boy friends as possessions and not as dignified human beings who are allowed to say no to sex.  "One Time" is a love song where Justin describes his undying love for a girl friend.  A little strange, considering that Justin was only fifteen when this song came out. 

In "Love Me," Justin repeats over and over, "Love me, love me, say that you love me.  Fool me, Fool me, oh how you do me.  Kiss me, kiss me, say that you miss me.  Tell me what I wanna hear..."  These lyrics are a little intense for a fifteen year old singer, but they aren't bad enough for me to spurn altogether.  In "Bigger," Justin asks a girl to give him another chance.  He claims that he's "bigger" and he's learned from his mistakes he made as a child.  He sings, "We ain't on the playground no more.  We're big enough to stand in the picture.  We're big enough to stand next to love."  These words actually made me chuckle.  Although Justin is definitely out of the playground, he's not old enough for love, and neither are most of his fans.
     
The most controversial song in Bieber's first album is "First Dance," a song where Justin sings about taking a young girl to prom and asking her for her "first dance."  The lyrics, however, are suggestive that Justin is singing about something more than a simple dance.  The lyrics almost seem like Justin is asking a girl for her virginity.  I'll let you decide for yourself.  "If you give, give the first dance to me, girl, I promise I'll be gentle.  I know we gotta do it slowly if you give, give your first dance to me. I'm gonna cherish every moment, 'cause it only happens once, once in a life time..."

While Justin Bieber sings almost exclusively about love and girls, his song "Down to Earth" is inspirational and uplifting.  It's about Justin's recovery from his parents' difficult break up, and can be a great encouragement to other young people who have gone through similar experiences.

In My World II, Justin's second album, he mentions love almost constantly.  "Eenie Meenie," a song about a girl who can't make up her mind, contains somewhat questionable lyrics.  "Eenie meenie miney mo, catch a bad chick by her toe.  If she holla, let her go... 'cause Shorty is a eenie meenie miney mo lover."  When an unmarried teen boy (and Sean Kingston) sings about a "bad chick" and a "lover" in the same song, you can't help but question the intentions behind the lyrics.  Justin's huge hit "Baby" is fairly lighthearted and simple.  "Runaway Love" talks about a girl who won't stop leaving Justin for other guys.  In "Stuck in the Moment," Justin mentions the relationship between Adam and Eve, along with several other examples of legendary couples. 

In my opinion, Justin sings too much about intense, serious love instead of the casual, lighthearted crushes that young teens (his fans) should be looking for right now.  However, Justin's lyrics aren't inappropriate.  He doesn't cuss and he doesn't explicitly sing about sex.  If you plan to add (or already have) Justin's music on your play list and you are under the age of eighteen, then I would recommend you to remind yourself that you don't need to be looking for true love yet.  You don't need a serious boy friend.  Live life as a kid while you can.

Justin Bieber seems to have a kind heart and good intentions with his music, and I'm not going to say that his songs are wrong to put into your head.  Just be careful about how much of his lyrics you take seriously.  Look at the positive aspects about Justin instead, such as the way he overcame a bad situation at home and gained success. 

"I'm looking forward to influencing others in a positive way.  My message is you can do anything if you just put your mind to it. I grew up below the poverty line; I didn't have as much as other people did.  I think it made me stronger as a person.  It built my character.  Now I have a 4.0 grade point average and I want to go to college and just become a better person."

What do you think?  Do you listen to Justin Bieber?  Does Justin's music make you wish you had a serious relationship or do you think it's all lighthearted fun?  Do you disagree with what I have to say?  Comment below.
 
Credit for the pictures goes here and here.

The Christian artist that I will be featuring this week is B. Reith, pronounced B. RYE-th.  He is a Christian artist whose musical genre ranges from R&B to hip hop to soul to pop.  Reportedly, when Toby Mac first heard B. Reith's music, he was so amazed that he had to pull his car over to the side of the road.

Quick Bio-
B. Reith (Brian James Reith) grew up around music.  His father owned a recording studio, and helped B. Reith to pursue his music career, starting at age five when he first sang in a commercial.  Gotee Records, founded by artist Toby Mac, signed B. Reith in 2008, and he came out with his debut album "Now Is Not Forever" on September 22, 2009. 

One of the most well known songs by B. Reith is "Go On," a joking song about B. Reith's fight to get people to remember his music and the difficult pronunciation of his last name.  The chorus is catchy and a music video for the song has spread across YouTube.   "Go on, hey DJ, play that funky song that I like, but I can't recall the name.  I think it goes like la-da-da-la-da-da-da-da by some guy named B. Right, yeah, I think that was his name. Play that funky song..." 

Several of B. Reith's songs are lighthearted rap songs, filled with jokes and funny remarks about B. Reith's struggle as an artist, such as "The Comeback Kid" and "Old School."  "U Should Know" is a love song where B. Reith reflects briefly on staying pure before marriage.  "I'm so anxious, but true love's worth waiting for so I'm gonna stay patient.  I can't ignore this feeling inside, but I can control it, so let's take our time and slowly move forward..."  While "Wish That" is a song about B. Reith's hurt after a harsh break up, "Antidote" is an inspirational song encouraging young girls to find hope through heartbreak, self-injury, and drugs.  B. Reith even shares his testimony in the rap song, "My Story," and mentions that he would not be where he is now if it wasn't for God's grace.  "I Know" is a song about finding hope through a "desert" of hard times.  "Just for You" and "Rain Down" are both worship songs.  One of the catchiest songs on the album is "Mess," a song about messing up in your life and finally turning to God for help. 

If you enjoy Group 1 Crew or TobyMac, then you should definitely consider adding B. Reith's album to your playlist.  He is not solely a rap artist.  B. Reith has a beautiful voice that he uses in the majority of his songs, and Toby Mac seems to be almost overly-enthusiastic about the potential of this young artist's musical career. 

"It's amazing when God truly gives someone a gift.  Brian is just naturally gifted from God vocally and his lyrics, when they hit tape, they sort of just ease into your heart... Trust me, B.Reith is a man of character too.  He's a guy that truly walks what he talks."

The uniqueness of B. Reith's musical style is another attractive thing about his album.  His songs do not all sound the same.  His album changes from genre to genre, and each song is worth the listen.  And what does B. Reith have to say about his musical style? 

"God gave me an ear to pick up things.  My style is just an accumulation of what I've heard throughout my life, channeled through the unique talents that God has given me." 

Do you have any critiques or opinions?  Are you a fan of B. Reith?  Has this review helped you?  Leave your comments below.
Credit for the pictures used in this article go here and here.