The Internet appears to have broken over “What Do You Mean,” a brand-new Justin Bieber track with undeniable tropical house influence. The song hit the airwaves following news that Bieber would be releasing an album largely produced by Skrillex, who worked with him previously on Jack Ü’s “Where Are Ü Now” – which made for confusion throughout the EDM blogosphere as Skrillex did not turn out to be responsible for this latest release.
I’ve got a different misconception to dispel, though. This track is mediocre at best, and I’m tired of every music writer out there acting so pleasantly surprised by it.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m the last person to bash on trop house, and the beat itself is decent enough (if not a little underwhelming). However, if the producer isn’t Skrillex and therefore is a ghostwriter Bieber’s camp couldn’t be bothered to credit, then we might as well evaluate this song on its lyrical content – and apparently I’m the only one who thinks that lyrically, it’s a lousier version of Katy Perry’s “Hot N Cold.”
Bieber’s trusty songwriter Poo Bear (who should really consider adding an H to his name unless he’s worried Disney will come after him for it, which I guess they probably would) was largely responsible for “What Do You Mean” as well as “Where Are Ü Now,” which makes me wonder: If Bieber needs a whole team around him just to release new music, why isn’t any of it worth listening to?
I don’t know, though, maybe I’m just out of touch. Give Justin Bieber‘s “What Do You Mean” a listen and if you like it then air your grievances with my assessment of the track in the comments section.
