Reviewed by Tony Cummings

There can be few albums released in recent years which have had such high expectations among Christians. It's very, very seldom that a genuine pop superstar becomes a Christian, and when it happens and the news gets out, there are soon countless thousands of churchgoers showing a particular interest in an artist's work where once they might not have demonstrated much interest. Justin's conversion has been well and truly publicised and now 'Changes', his first album since 2015's 'Purpose', is no doubt being scrutinised by many churchgoers. They'll probably be disappointed by 'Changes'' lack of specifically Christian songs (maybe we'll have to wait another couple of years before we get a worship set from the superstar), but what Rolling Stone magazine called "a one-note toast to marital happiness" is pretty good for all that, even though some Christians have expressed concern about the lyrics of the album's first single, "Yummy", which is clearly a song about sex. The particular standouts on the album are "Intentions (ftg Quavo)", with a climbing synth figure and a thumping bass which gets much of its effect from staccato flurries of words; "Forever (ftg Post Malone, Chev)", with a jangly groove and a lyric about wanting to be with his spouse for life ("the thought of being with my wife forever gives me chills"); "Confirmation", a finger-snap ballad where Justin assures his wife that "we got the rest of our lives"; and "That's What Love Is", and all show clever production. There are one or two surprisingly inventive ideas in the sounds on offer. For instance, "At Least For Now" has what The Guardian described as "an intriguingly psychedelic tint". For the most part, though, these are songs veering between pop-electronica and acoustic ballads, all executed with considerable flair. Maybe not a classic, but still a well-above-average album.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

Interested in reviewing music? Find out more here.