This week, Justin Bieber dropped his single “Boyfriend,” marking his first step toward making more mature-sounding pop tunes. Co-producer Mike Posner told MTV News that Bieber’s upcoming Believe album displays how far he’s come since the sugary sweet ditties of his My World days.
“I think our goal was to make something that me and my friends could listen to in the car,” Posner explained. “I think we’ve all known Justin since he was 13, and that’s not the kid I was in the studio with anymore. He’s an 18-year-old. He skateboards with Lil Wayne and hangs out with Lil Twist. Those are his homies. And he listens to hip-hop and he’s a really cool kid. He’s not like a corny guy.”
“So I wanted to make something that reflected who he is now and who he is going to continue to be,” Posner added. “We’re still working more on the project and it sounds really incredible. I think people have been waiting [for] when he’s going to turn that corner, and the time is now.”
Believe isn’t going to change just Bieber’s career, but all of pop music, Posner added. “He’s kind of bringing soul back, and rhythm and blues back and definitely hip-hop into his music. I’m really excited to see how it’s going to change the landscape, and I know a lot of artists are going to have to go back to the drawing board.”
“Boyfriend” is the lead single off Believe, which will drop later this year. A video is currently in the works, but no release date has been announced.
