Do you Belieb or is there only One Direction for you?

Caroline Howe | Contributor | USD Radio

I am about to address a can of worms that has been open for weeks. I am aware this topic is extremely controversial amongst tweens, teens, and young adults but it is time someone in the University of San Diego community addressed it. Did Justin Bieber or One Direction make the better 2015 album?

 

If you have read my other op-ed, you will know I think Bieber is making a remarkable comeback. Bieber-fever is on the rise and even non-beliebers have admitted to me that they are surprisingly into his new music. If you know me personally, you likely know I have never been the biggest One Direction fan. It is nothing against the boy band; I simply used my entire boy band energy during The Jonas Brothers’ era.

 

With all of that said, I believe One Direction was the obvious champion of the November album release battle. But before you get your breeches in a bunch, hear me out and let us all remember this is just the opinion of one girl in college.

 

Leading up to the album debut of Purpose, Bieber ruled the single release game beginning with “What Do You Mean?” in late August. After liking what I heard, I eagerly awaited the release of his second single, “Sorry” which did not disappoint. This song also came with a dance video that more or less blew me away. Just before his album became public, “I’ll Show You” and “Love Yourself” made their debuts as well. Bieber was consecutively present in the music scene as he disclosed arguable the best songs of his album. Unlike my reaction to Bieber’s single release, I found One Direction’s to be not as obvious and less impactful. This is partially due to the fact that I did not have them on my music radar and partially because many of the media outlets I use focused primarily on Bieber. One Direction’s first single, “Drag Me Down” from their album Made In The A.M. had me questioning why I had not listened to the British boy band previously. Following this single, “Perfect,” “Infinity,” and “What A Feeling?” were released. It may depend upon what country you reside in but Bieber won the pre-album game fair and square.

 

Opinion aside, which album debut was more successful on the charts? According to Billboard’s 200, Bieber debuted at number one while One Direction took the back seat at number two. However, One Direction’s first four albums made history on their own by all debuting at number one. So dare I ask if the two albums were not released on the same day, would both albums have found a spot at number one? I think so.

Despite Bieber’s undeniable success and the hard work he certainly put toward his newest album, I find listening to One Direction’s record more enjoyable and fun. This is obviously an extremely biased observation but the light pop music about love and heartbreak seems to be exactly what the doctor ordered for me. One Direction’s “Olivia,” “Love You Goodbye,” and “Temporary Fix” simply make me feel good! Even their solemn songs keep me listening through relatable lyrics and rather catchy melodies. It appears Bieber’s shift away from typical pop music and applicable topics just does not appeal to me as much as One Direction’s Made In The A.M.

At the end of the day, my scorebook shows Bieber won the pre-album race by a landslide while One Direction took home the complete-album trophy as well as my heart.

So where does this leave a conflicted girl’s overall alliance between the boy band and the boy idol?

 

Well, I may never identify as a Directioner since I am only a fan of the PZ (post-Zayne) music. Additionally, I may no longer be considered a Belieber because I am not fully invested in Bieber’s newest creation. This may prove my theory that I already used my entire boy band energy on the Jonas Brothers. Though, since The Jonas Brother are longer a group I’ll just give up on all of it and listen to Adele because she is the real winner of the November album release.