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[3.86]
Katherine St Asaph: Taking cues and producers from Mr. Drone Robotically And Kinda Emote, the new Bieber: Bleary Inertia, Emo Bullshit, Endless Runtime.
[2]
Patrick St. Michel: The single’s cover art and the healthy splashes of robotic Auto-tune should be a giveaway – this is Justin Bieber getting around to 808s And Heartbreak and deciding to give that album’s sonic approach a whirl. Or maybe producer T-Minus just wanted to try this approach himself after mostly making aggressive numbers for Drake (the artist who benefited the most from Kanye’s sad-robot period). Regardless, “Heartbreaker” is a horrible spoken-word bridge away from being a [10] thanks to how it finds a balance between the cyborg longing of 808s and the come-ons of Drake. It’s smooth and effortless, even with choirs of android Biebers whirring off in the distance and adding a futuristic sleekness to the track. Biebs himself is neither maudlin or creepy but…sexily longing for someone while also showcasing his vocal chops. And it has a strong finish, complete with some especially compelling manipulated vocals. We can joke about Bieber’s Instagrams and shirtless piano solos all we want, but “Heartbreaker” is a huge step forward for him musically.
[9]
Alfred Soto: He believes in love like he believes in AutoTune. I don’t believe a second of this production though.
[2]
Edward Okulicz: Dear me, this is heavy going, a series of artistic decisions that don’t fit or flatter the Bieb one bit. The guitar under the verses is playing a melody that’s pure sludge, the lethargic beat makes the song feel about eight minutes long and the vocal effects destroy the likeable qualities of Bieber’s voice everywhere they’re applied. Whoever produced this, don’t grow old and boring for their sake, Justin.
[3]
Will Adams: The production — those vocal layers! those guitar strums! — is cream, but it’s still his voice that’s keeping me from him. Bieber has yet to convince me that he can emote on his own terms, without adopting this smooth-talker persona of late. This is most evident in the bridge, which aims for suave spoken-word but is nothing but mumbles. Elsewhere, he’s still pinching vowels in one breath and growling in the next. Perhaps it’s lingering memories of his high-register days, but even in “Heartbreaker” he sounds like he hasn’t figured out what he wants to be yet.
[4]
Anthony Easton: Bieber has always had a technically good voice, but it remains undistinctive. The production occasionally gives it colour or flavour, but often his choices are to under-emphasize it for no real reason. For a song that is supposed to be about obsessive ardor, this kind of falls flat.
[4]
Brad Shoup: All the plod of a Timberlake single with none of the swoop. Everything about this is a chore: the guitar with Miguel preset, the dead-eyed spoken bridge, the multitude of Biebers that give me the impression of being seduced by a high-end home theater system. The sky cracks towards the end: his vocals become a whispered, pitched-up burble. He’s muttering dark warnings about the heart. I don’t know that it’s on-brand, but it’s worth indulging.
[3]