MANILA, Philippines – Celebrating the release of his new album Purpose, pop star Justin Bieber dropped music videos, one for each song on the CD, in succession on Sunday, November 15, delighting his fans while ramping up what's looking to be a massive promotional campaign, complete with a tour.
It's a sweet return to the spotlight for Justin – not for a new misdemeanor or arrest, but for new music and a chance to test the evolution of his career with his fans – many of whom have grown up alongside him, leaving those "Baby" days behind.
A far cry from the detached Justin who faced one incident after another, the pop star is hard at work promoting his new music and speaking candidly about his past, particularly about becoming overwhelmed by fame so early on in his career.
But he's back – in a big way, if the packed November 13 show, "An Evening With Justin Bieber," in California's Staples Center is any indication.
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Thank you <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EveningWithJB?src=hash">#EveningWithJB</a> <a href="https://t.co/GeM80UdMqu">pic.twitter.com/GeM80UdMqu</a></p>— Justin Bieber (@justinbieber) <a href="https://twitter.com/justinbieber/status/665433898227249152">November 14, 2015</a></blockquote>
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Celebrity friends are also lending Justin their support throughout the project.
Floyd Mayweather, whom Justin has always supported, took his place beside Justin as he made his way out during his Staples Center show.
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<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-version="5" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:658px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:8px;"> <div style=" background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:50.0% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;"> <div style=" background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAAGFBMVEUiIiI9PT0eHh4gIB4hIBkcHBwcHBwcHBydr+JQAAAACHRSTlMABA4YHyQsM5jtaMwAAADfSURBVDjL7ZVBEgMhCAQBAf//42xcNbpAqakcM0ftUmFAAIBE81IqBJdS3lS6zs3bIpB9WED3YYXFPmHRfT8sgyrCP1x8uEUxLMzNWElFOYCV6mHWWwMzdPEKHlhLw7NWJqkHc4uIZphavDzA2JPzUDsBZziNae2S6owH8xPmX8G7zzgKEOPUoYHvGz1TBCxMkd3kwNVbU0gKHkx+iZILf77IofhrY1nYFnB/lQPb79drWOyJVa/DAvg9B/rLB4cC+Nqgdz/TvBbBnr6GBReqn/nRmDgaQEej7WhonozjF+Y2I/fZou/qAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;"></div></div> <p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"> <a href="https://instagram.com/p/-D4TAJAvt5/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">I'm always walking him out so he returned the favour thanks @floydmayweather</a></p> <p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A photo posted by Justin Bieber (@justinbieber) on <time style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;" datetime="2015-11-14T09:43:06+00:00">Nov 14, 2015 at 1:43am PST</time></p></div></blockquote>
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At the same show, Will Smith's son Jaden Smith appeared and performed with Justin. The two previously collaborated on "Never Say Never," featured in The Karate Kid, starring Jaden and Jackie Chan.
Pals like Ellen DeGeneres and Kevin Hart have been vocal about helping him through tough times. Kevin was even the "Roastmaster" when Justin was the subject of a Comedy Central roast.
And Justin appeared for a full set of episodes on The Ellen DeGeneres Show as part of "Bieber Week," performing a short set live for screaming fans, and surprising a number of the most ardent ones with VIP tickets.
He even served his time on the hot seat, being grilled by Ellen on everything from his recent minor slip-up, a full-frontal nude photo taken by paparazzi while he was on vacation, to his break-up with Selena Gomez.
That breakup, his troubles with the law, and his struggles in the industry, and the realizations from those struggles, appear to inform the spirit of Purpose – a reflective record made alongside a long list of top artists and producers, including Skrillex, Diplo, Rick Rubin, and Benny Blanco. (In an interview with Ellen, he said "What Do You Mean," "Sorry," and "Mark My Words" were inspired by his relationship with Selena.)
"That's what it's....that's what's happening with me. It's like God I'm giving it all I got, sometimes I'm weak and I'm gonna do it, and it's like I'm not giving myself grace, I'm just like understanding, that's just how it is," he says on the tail end of "Purpose."
Justin isn't in all of the music videos – some feature dancers or highlight the featured artist – but the videos are all part of a cohesive look and feel for his new album. Let's take a look at each of the music videos:
1. Mark My Words
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2. I'll Show You
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He previously released a different music video for the same song. Watch here:
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3. What Do You Mean?
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Like "Ill Show You" and "Where Are U Now," "What Do You Mean" previously got a music video already, starring John Leguizamo in an action-themed piece.
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4. Sorry
There was a previously released video for "Sorry":
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5. Love Yourself
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6. Company
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7. No Pressure ft. Big Sean
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8. No Sense ft. Travi$ Scott
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9. The Feeling ft. Halsey
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10. Life Is Worth Living
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11. Where Are Ü Now
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12. Children
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13. Purpose
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What do you think of Justin's album? Let us know in the comments below. – Rappler.com