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Bieber Fever Rises!

by Rhapsody

Justin Bieber is 18 years old now. Swirl that fact around in your brain for a second. And if you need a soundtrack, why not try his new album, Believe, which expertly balances the teen-beat precociousness that made him famous with the sexy, streetwise, all-grown-up adult pop that might just make him more famous yet. Below, Rhapsody pop expert Rachel Devitt takes a deep dive into the record, sorts through the list of other blue-eyed R&B belters vying for Justin Timberlake's throne, surveys the other major pop records out this month (Usher!), and more. Enjoy.

Believe

Justin Bieber

Our little Biebster's 18 and he's got some not-a-girl, not-yet-a-woman-type stuff to prove, y'all. And wow, does Believe do the job! JB zips around the pop Monopoly board, building hotels on everything from dubstep-doused dance-pop to Mrazian acoustic jams ("Be Alright"), and bubblegum retro R&B ("Die in Your Arms") to a lot of Timberlakian blue-eyed funk. What's more, he gets panty-droppers like Ludacris and Big Sean waxing sweet enough to sell cereal. And that's what Believe really is: a balancing act that dances perfectly between his wholesome kiddie pop past and a sexy, grownup future.