STACK #201 Jul 2021

MUSIC FEATURE

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J ustin Bieber is now six albums deep, the last two released in as many years — a deep run for a pop princeling turned prince. What ground does one cover at this advanced stage? Full crooner mode, it turns out. Justice is almost too sentimental for its own good, skirting the downright saccharine at the expense of the bigger and more exuberant Bieber on early go-arounds. But it’s the kind of lullaby sweetness that comes from a genuine encounter with something worth being sentimental about, and it’s honestly really beautiful to hear post-marriage Biebs reacting to the nightmare of the past year by basically weeping onto the tracks about all the beauty he sees in the world. Jake Cleland BIEBER'S JUSTICE GETS ITS VINYL ARRIVAL Justice by Justin Bieber is out on black 180g vinyl now, via is out now via Def Jam.

PART TWO OF THE VERONICAS' TWIN LPS DISHES THE SAUCE

A ccording to a press release, The Veronicas’ previous album Godzilla (which dropped on 28 May, 2021) reflects their “public alter egos” while this month's Human showcases the Origliasso twins as “vulnerable songwriters”. But listening to these albums back to back, they’re not entirely different beasts. Human opens in soothing fashion with power ballad Without You , minimal instrumentation immediately enhancing Lisa and Jessica’s vocal virtuosity: “Without you/ I finally see that I’m enough.” Track two makes an edgy, crunchy-trap-beat detour with featured artist Muki delivering the repetitive, accusatory hook (“All you do is li-li-li-li-lie...”) a lá Beyoncé. Alongside recurring be-kind-to-yourself reminders (“I’m only human/ I f-ck it up sometimes”; “Life isn’t pretty/ We all get a little wrecked sometimes”) and a sidepiece’s epiphany (“You were all about hotels, diamonds, f-cking and fighting... I’m not a girl on the side”), Human serves saucy lyrical delights: “Do you miss me in your sheets... The way I’d give you head”; “I’m still drunk at the bar, watching your every move/ Imagining how good you taste...” There’s also ample future-dancefloor moments, including the boppy On Your Side , disco-infused Jealous and Shakira- esque (no jokes!) Goodbye . While dancing to Out Of Time – with surprise Rüfüs Du Sol-level rave breakdown – keep your phone handy, ‘cause you’ll wanna Google featured artist Wrabel. Following the 2021 release of these immaculate companion albums, The Veronicas’ career trajectory should mirror the dizzying heights of their French-cut leotard leglines. Bryget Chrisfield

Human by The Veronicas is out June 11 via Sony.

JULY 2021

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