Justin Bieber’s “balls have dropped,” and so have some new tracks

It may only be Halloween, but we’re getting in the holiday spirit a little early this year thanks to the just-leaked Justin Bieber Christmas album. First, a word of warning to hard-core Bieber fans: the Stratford-born singer sounds a little bit different on this record. Let’s put it this way: on “Fa La La,” a track featuring Boyz II Men, Bieber’s signature high-pitched whine is nowhere to be heard, making it difficult to differentiate vocally between the teen and the over 30 contingent accompanying him. It makes sense that Bieber sounds different this year—he turned 17 back in March, which means he’s almost made it through puberty. Or, as his manager Scott Braun put it, “Vocally, his balls have dropped.” His words, not ours. On top of debuting his new vocal range, Bieber has managed to secure a few impressive collaborations on the album, including a version of Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas” featuring the diva herself. Our favourite, however, has to be Busta Rhymes and Biebs double-teaming “The Little Drummer Boy.”