The Evolution of Justin Bieber's Vocal Style from Boy Soprano to Adult Artist

Bieber initially sang with a boy soprano voice before his voice broke, as was evidenced during the debut performance of 'Pray' at the 2010 American Music Awards. Sean Michaels of The Guardian described puberty as 'the biggest threat to his career' at the time. Jody Rosen commented that Bieber sings with 'swing and rhythmic dexterity' on his debut album, noting his tone to be 'nasal'. Bieber started to receive voice coaching from Jan Smith in 2008. As an adult singer, Bieber's voice type is tenor, with a vocal range spanning from the baritone A2 to the high tenor F5. In a review of his Purpose album, Neil McCormick of The Daily Telegraph complimented his 'soft, supple and seductive singing'. Caroline Sullivan of The Guardian also praised Bieber's 'affectedly breathy voice', noting that 'the voice soon palls, but the songs are often interesting.' Reviewing his 2021 album Justice, Pitchfork commented: 'Bieber is not a powerhouse vocalist, but he is a compelling one, casually dropping in a stray yodel here, a Mariah Carey–indebted set of runs there. His voice has a palatable smoothness; he's mastered push-and-pull dynamics, and he swings effortlessly from a placid chest voice to a zephyr of a falsetto.'