Justin Bieber’s Existential Suite

Switched on Pop

Vox Media Podcast Network

Music Interviews, Music History, Music, Music Commentary

4.6 • 2.7K Ratings

🗓️ 7 October 2015

⏱️ 29 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Bieber’s two new hits, “Where Are Ü Now” and “What Do You Mean,” showcase the prodigal pop star’s soberer side. In each, his realization of the fictive nature of relationships is musicalized through slippery piano chords and disembodied voices. But just two songs does not make a true existential suite, so we collaborated with the mysterious Breakmaster Cylinder to propose a third stanza for Bieber’s epic poem of love and loss. FEATURING Jack Ü – Where Are Ü Now (ft. Justin Bieber) Justin Bieber – What Do You Mean Justin Bieber – Boyfriend Mark Ronson – Uptown Funk Want to finish Justin Bieber’s trilogy? Listen to “Why Am I Here?” and download the track on Breakmaster Cylinder’s Soundcloud. Then, record your vocal and send it to [email protected]. We’re looking at you Justin. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	You know, dude, what time is it?
0:06.9	Charlie, I just had the craziest, freaky stream, okay?
0:11.8	I was listening to the radio and these two Justin Bieber songs came on and I actually
0:19.4	liked them.
0:20.4	Oh man, it's so weird.
0:22.4	Dude, just turn the radio on.
0:25.4	Oh my god!
0:32.4	It's not a dream.
0:47.1	This is switched on pop.
0:48.5	So let's do this thing.
0:49.8	I'm songwriter Charlie Harding and I'm a musicologist, Nate Sloan.
0:54.6	This true Justin Bieber is back and on today's episode we are going to deconstruct the melon
1:00.4	collie in his new music because Justin is asking big questions.
1:05.2	He's composed an existential suite of songs that ask, where are you now and what do you mean?
1:11.2	The first, where are you now?
1:13.1	Was produced by the DJ duo Skrillex and Diablo.
1:15.9	And the second, what do you mean, came out just a little bit later and has a lot of
1:34.4	sonic similarities to the first.
1:50.5	So together with these two tracks, it feels like he's doing something unique in the pop
1:55.8	landscape, taking two songs that are a far cry from anything we've heard from him before.
2:03.2	You know, earlier in his career on a track like Boyfriend, Bieber was all about swagger.
2:13.8	And eating fondue, generally just seemed to be a very confident young man.
	...

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