Rock Band 4 DLC Dec 29, 2015: Justin Bieber, One Direction & More

That’s right, the Biebs and One Direction are coming to Rock Band. Cue the high-pitched screams!

Look, every step that Justin Bieber makes towards going the “Full JT” transformation is a great one, in my mind, and “What Do You Mean?” is a solid banger. But it is not the kind of song that would be caught dead in the Rock Band setlists of old, and it is perplexing now to see its inclusion in this week’s Rock Band DLC, which includes a bevy of pop hits from 2015 and a 2014 track from Sam Hunt.

It’s the kind of Top 40 collection that you would expect from a lesser, annualized music gaming series. Not Rock Band 4.

The latest Rock Band 4 DLC setlist video highlights a small portion of each song slated to release as of December 29, 2015. Each of the following songs can be downloaded and purchased individually for $1.99:

• Coldplay “Adventure of a Lifetime”
• Ellie Goulding “On My Mind”
• Justin Bieber “What Do You Mean?”
• One Direction “Drag Me Down”
• Sam Hunt “Leave The Night On”
• Weezer “Thank God for Girls”

More from GameSided

• Get Gaming/Video Games News, in the New FanSided Android App
• GameSided Is Moving To The Newly Revamped App Trigger
• Uncharted 4 Delayed Til May
• Heroes of the Storm North America Spring Regional Recap
• No Man’s Sky Pre-orders Up Thursday…Or Not?

While there are certain aspects of these upcoming Rock Band 4 DLC tracks that look interesting to play on certain instruments due to their difficulty (specifically, the drums section of “On My Mind,” multiple vocalists on “Drag Me Down,” the guitar on “Adventure of a Lifetime”), it just doesn’t really fit into what the idea of a Harmonix-led, independently-developed Rock Band 4 experience should feel like. Top 40 is the kind of music that you’d expect from a Sing Star, or from an annual iteration of Just Dance. It clashes against the classic/contemporary rock ‘n’ roll feel that the series has developed for so long.