‘Yummy’ disagrees with our tummies

After a five-year hiatus, Justin Bieber has announced the release of his fifth album, “Changes,” for Feb. 14. This album is a reflection of how he has matured over the past five years. One of the featured tracks, “Yummy,” was released just a few weeks ago, and it seems that the public response has been difficult for Justin Bieber to digest. His desperate attempts to increase the popularity of the track are almost as ridiculous as the song itself. 

The saga all began the day “Yummy” was released, Jan. 3. That day, Bieber joined TikTok, a social hub he hoped would allow him to connect with teens. TikTok has been a launchpad for many a viral song, but from videos of Bieber lip-syncing “Yummy” in bed shirtless to those of him prancing around his kitchen with a shirt on, it is painfully clear that TikTok’s eccentric and organic nature and Bieber’s hunger for success do not work well together. 

TikTok is not, however, the only social media platform that has been plagued by Bieber’s shameless pursuit of attention. A few days later, on Jan. 6, Bieber posted 13 photos of babies on his Instagram with the hashtag “#yummy,” which was deeply concerning to say the least. On Jan. 9, Bieber then tweeted a post from a fan account listing tips for how “Yummy” could get to #1 on Billboard Hot 100, including listening to the song while falling asleep and buying the song multiple times on Bieber’s website.

Yet, despite his efforts, “Yummy” only landed in second on the Billboard Hot 100 the week after its release, behind Roddy Ricch’s “The Box.” In fact, this desperation may have been what prevented him from reaching first. “I thought [‘Yummy’’s lyrics were] funny, but I didn’t want to listen to it because I didn’t want to promote Justin Bieber’s trying to get attention,” sophomore Angelina Guhl said. 

Many also blame the song’s lack of originality and the vaguely repulsive lyrics for its poor performance. “The beats are really basic and it sounds like every other song ever. It also sounds kind of stupid, with the same lyrics over and over again. Especially considering that it’s about his wife. Come on, make some nicer lyrics,” junior Saanika Mahashetty said. 

In addition, in “Yummy” and, presumably, “Changes” as a whole, Bieber seems to be experimenting with a more typical pop style, a bit of departure from the acoustic one that catapulted Bieber to YouTube fame. “I don’t really have high hopes for [‘Changes’] because he’s trying to do more of a contemporary rap style that’s not what he’s really good at,” sophomore Eugene Kimelman said. 

If “Yummy”’s performance is at all an accurate predictor of the rest of the album, it seems RM students will be disappointed by this Valentine’s Day gift. Is it too late now to say sorry?