Washington [US], March 21 (ANI): Canadian singer and songwriter Justin Bieber faced some backlash after using the words and speeches of Martin Luther King Jr. in his latest album ‘Justice’.
According to Fox News, Bieber released his sixth studio album titled “Justice” on Friday and after eager fans listened to the album over the weekend, many were perplexed to hear the late civil rights icon featured so heavily. This prompted some of them to take to social media and share their confusion at the artist’s bold creative choice.
The album opens with one of Martin Luther King Jr.’s most famous quotes: “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” This quote is attributed to his April 1963 “Letter From Birmingham Jail.”
The sixth track on the album features an “MLK Interlude.” The track is a minute and 44-second clip of King’s “But If Not” sermon, which he delivered at Atlanta’s Ebenezer Baptist Church in November 1967.
At the time, King had said, “I say to you, this morning, that if you have never found something so dear and precious to you that you will die for it, then you aren’t fit to live.”
Though Bieber chose to quote the late civil rights leader directly and even gave him credit as a songwriter on the album, some people wondered if the context of the songs merits the white singer utilizing King’s words.
Variety’s reviewer Chris Williams noted that the song following the second King segment on the album has to do with risking one’s life for romance. Bieber is likely referencing his wife, Hailey Baldwin on the track. The reviewer questions the wisdom behind seemingly comparing the struggle of vying for a woman’s attention to the plight of the civil rights movement of the 1960s.
It wasn’t long before listeners took to Twitter and shared their thoughts on the matter as well. One user wrote, “Why did Justin Bieber, a white man, use Martin Luther King Jr. on his album titled “Justice” which is about his wife who is a white woman? Otherwise, the music is cute.”
Another user added, “now I know the Rev. Martin Luther King is not on this Justin Bieber album, my eyes and ears must be deceiving me.”
“justin bieber really started a track with one of martin luther king jr’s speeches and proceeded to make the entire song about his wife……. huh,” another added.
As per Fox News, in an article published Friday, the singer spoke with Vogue about his decision to include the controversial King quotes in his album, noting that there are still large swaths of the population that are unfamiliar with King’s work. (ANI)