Never Say Never: The Remixes was released a few days after the documentary Justin Bieber: Never Say Never hit movie screens. It’s less an album of remixes and much more like a brief collection of alternate versions designed to maximize
Bieber’s appeal across genres, with appearances from major R&B, rap, country, and pop artists. The title song was originally featured in the 2010 remake of The Karate Kid and features guest MC’ing from the movie’s star,
Jaden Smith (nearly a dead ringer for
Kriss Kross' Mack Daddy, as some parents might notice). The ballad “That Should Be Me” gets an unsurprisingly natural-sounding country overhaul with
Rascal Flatts.
Chris Brown is added as a background vocalist to “Up”; otherwise, the song is identical to the original version on
My World 2.0. A “live” version of “Overboard” is a duet with
Miley Cyrus. There’s one new song, a lukewarm inspirational ballad. Overall, the release won’t add much to a
Bieber fan’s collection, unless it develops into a gateway to the rich discography of
Raekwon, who appears with
Kanye West on “Runaway Love.” ~ Andy Kellman