"Roller Coaster"
Released: November 25, 2013 (2013-11-25)
"Change Me"
Released: December 2, 2013 (2013-12-02)
"Confident"
Released: December 9, 2013 (2013-12-09)
Journals is the second compilation album by Canadian recording artist Justin Bieber. Journals was released only as a digital download on iTunes on December 23, 2013 by Island Records.[1][2] A ten-week digital download campaign entitled Music Mondays, in which one new song was released every Monday night, was held from October 7, 2013 to December 9, 2013. Journals includes five previously unreleased songs in addition to the ten Music Monday releases. Despite promotions of the album that helped Bieber reach number one on the Social 50 chart and the release planned to capitalize the sales rush before Christmas, the album did not fare well commercially, thus it did not chart on the Billboard 200 due to its first week sales going unreported. It was met with mixed to negative reviews from critics.
On October 3, 2013, Bieber announced that he would release one new song every Monday for 10 weeks, leading up to the release of his Believe theatrical film, which will see a limited one-week release on Christmas Day 2013. The first song issued during "Music Mondays", as Bieber had touted the weekly releases, "Heartbreaker", was issued on October 7, while the last, "Confident" featuring Chance the Rapper, was released on December 9.
On December 9, 2013, Bieber announced that the ten Music Monday releases would be packaged with an additional five new songs in a compilation entitled Complete My Journals. Although the album was initially set for release on December 16, 2013, the date was pushed back one week to December 23, as Bieber intended to include one more song on the compilation. Though it does not appear on the album itself, the bonus track, "Flatline", was available for a free download on the iTunes Store for a limited time, but is now priced at $1.29.[3]Journals was available on iTunes from January 2, 2014, and all sixteen songs are be available for purchase individually.[1]
Initial reviews for Journals have been mixed. The Washington Post's Alison Stewart offered a negative outlook on the project, writing that "Justin Bieber ends a bad year with a bad album."[10] In his review written for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Piet Levy wrote that Bieber is "less an eager child than a confident adult, although when Bieber's flat come-ons are juxtaposed with seasoned R&B star R. Kelly on "PYD," it's clear that as a performer, he still has a lot of growing up to do."[11] Sandeep Singh of Verdens Gang wrote that Journals is "neither a profound diary or a studio album it could have been (perhaps why it is categorized as a collection?) - But this is undoubtedly the best Bieber has bubbled up to now."[12] The Gulf News described Journals as a "come-to-Jesus moment that has nothing to do with Christmas."[13]
