Justin Bieber has released the second single from his much-anticipated new album Believe, the jaunty ballad Die In Your Arms.
With chiming production reminiscent of retro soul-pop, Bieber playfully swoons over keyboards, buoyant bass and finger snaps in the new song, released to iTunes on Tuesday.
The lilting tune is certainly a departure from first single Boyfriend, which found the 18-year-old Canadian pop star sing-rapping in a soft whisper over a spare Mike Posner beat, calling to mind Justin Timberlake’s sensual solo work.
That song has already topped the charts in Canada.
The new single received positive early notices as well, with Entertainment Weekly comparing Bieber’s sound to a “young Michael Jackson” and E! Online referring to the tune as a “poptastic summer anthem.”
Predictably, Bieber’s army of fans online was even more effusive.
On Twitter — where Die In Your Arms trended worldwide — fans simply gushed over the new tune.
“Listening to Die In Your Arms for the 83926591 time,” posted a fan with the handle biebermethods. “I REGRET NOTHING.”
Tweeted another fan, using only capital letters: “OMG. My little fangirl heart can’t handle this perfection.”
Bieber’s manager Scooter Braun, meanwhile, hyped the song as “real old school SOUL!!” with a “Jackson 5 vibe.”
Bieber himself hasn’t commented on his headline-nabbing alleged altercation with a paparazzo over the weekend, other than tweeting that he planned to “focus on the important stuff.”
The Stratford, Ont., native did say he was Europe-bound, with plans to play some secret concerts in the run-up to the release of his new album on June 18.
He has also announced an extensive North American tour for this fall, which will include at least seven Canadian stops including one at Toronto’s cavernous Rogers Centre.