Song of the Week: 'Mistletoe,' Justin Bieber

Justin Bieber: Reach out, touch faith.

For the past 15 years, journalist Cathleen Falsani has been a forceful and persuasive popular writer on religious subjects. Her 2004 interview with Barack Obama, which was conducted while she was with the Chicago Sun-Times, is probably the most candid examination of the presidents faith that has ever been printed in a periodical. So when she makes the claim that a powerful spiritual yearning underpins Justin Biebers music and accounts for at least some of his massive popularity that has to be taken seriously.

Falsanis argument, supported by a landslide of reprinted tweets and quotes from interviews, is spelled out in her book "Belieber!," which was published earlier this year. She did not get to talk to the heavily guarded Bieb himself, but documents long conversations with his mom, who is deeply religious and eager to present the young pop star as a singer of faith. "Belieber!" hints that theres been something messianic about Biebers sudden rise to fame, and implies that theres more to his straightforward lyrics about young lust than it appears.

"Justin has a message beyond what many critics dismiss as puppy love," writes Falsani. "It is about love Gods love for everyone."

There is little reason to doubt that Biebers Christianity is sincere. But if he really has an important religious message to share with his worldwide audience, its reasonable to expect that message to be inscribed on his Christmas album.

"Under the Mistletoe," Biebers chart-topping seasonal release, is not likely to make Falsani back down from her position. It also will not convert any unbeliebers. Like many spiritual excursions, this one is somet! hing of a tease.

Much of the material on "Under the Mistletoe" hit single "Mistletoe," "Only Thing I Ever Get For Christmas," "Christmas Eve," "All I Want Is You," "Home This Christmas" was written or co-written by Bieber himself. "Mistletoe" follows the same frothy pop-R&B formula that has netted Bieber more than a billion plays on YouTube.

There is a message to these songs, and it is coherent to the point of redundancy: The narrator is alone and waiting for that one special girl to light up his holidays. This is the same sweet stuff he has been peddling on recordings and at concerts since his debut encouraging each fan to believe that she might be the one to win his heart. His holiday songs are profoundly secular and more than vaguely sexual; the same can be said for most popular Christmas music, from the gruesome "Santa Baby" to the disturbing "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus."

Yet theres more to the album than the originals. Biebers piano-and-voice version of "Silent Night" is reverent and borderline angelic. When he sings about redeeming grace and Jesus birth, he is overawed. (Michael Bubl, who recorded the other chart-topping Christmas album this season, outsourced those same lines to a childrens choir.) The Bieber version of "Drummer Boy" is a bizarre hip-hop collaboration with Busta Rhymes, but it concludes with a strident call for charity. "Its crazy how some people say they dont care/When theres people on the street with no food, its not fair," raps Bieber. Tennyson he is not, but you can tell the kid means it.

Buried on the deluxe edition is "Pray," Biebers first tentative foray into socially conscious songwriting. It is an obvious nick from "Man in the Mirror," but when Bieber sings his intention to pray for "all the souls in need," ! he takes his mission deeper into Christian Contemporary territory than Michael Jackson ever wanted to go.

Haters will continue to run Bieber down for the same reason many still distrust Tim Tebow if someone seems too virtuous to be true, cynics will insist on believing the opposite. And for those like Falsani (and Biebers mom) who are desperate for the worlds most famous teen pop singer to develop his sense of mission, I recommend that most elusive of seasonal virtues: faith.

Songs of the Day are posted Mon.-Thu. at 3 p.m. Song of the Week, which will focus on contemporary chart hits, will be posted on Friday. For past Songs of the Day, click here