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
My World, 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,
Bieber projects an image that is utterly harmless. [
My World 2.0 was released on LP in 2016.] ~ Andy Kellman