If you were not too busy Googling “Zoo Be Zoo Be Zoo” around 12:30 a.m. last night, then you are probably in the right demographic to know that Justin Bieber’s new single was released around the same time. “Boyfriend,” the much-hyped lead track off his sophomore album Believe, does in fact reference Buzz Lightyear, as promised; it also features whispered three-quarter rapping, the word swaggy, and promises of fireside fondue. More to the point, it is Bieber in grown-up mode — or as much of a grown-up as an 18-year-old Canadian pop star still heavily indebted to his tween fan base can be. Still no sex, but the falsetto is slightly more suggestive this time around (and his voice has pretty much dropped at this point). It’s Transitional Bieber, if you will. And yes, those Justin Timberlake comparisons were fairly spot-on.
