Bieber Fever 2.0
Every employee who has had the misfortune of sharing their screen on a Zoom call has felt the silent scrutiny and prying eyes of computer voyeurism. Livesharing your screen feels completely exposed, like you’re bearing your soul in front of the entire department.
Psychologist, Dr. Claudia Rodriguez, says that screen sharing anxiety is extremely common, stemming from mirror anxiety, feeling trapped, feeling watched, and an increased cognitive load caused by deciphering multiple social cues at once. It’s no wonder on-screen insecurity makes people question everything. Do they have too many tabs open? Can everyone hear their dog barking at the mailman? Are there any NSFW photos on their desktop? Can their manager somehow see the controversial podcaster they are following on Spotify? Are they on mute?
This aggressive vulnerability is what makes Justin Bieber’s Coachella performance so unexpected, so intimate, and so brave. During his performance, Bieber scrolled memes on a massive projector, sharing his screen with 125,000 attendees and nearly 2 million fans watching on YouTube. Shattering expectations and delivering an oddly moving performance, Bieber broke Coachella record, boasting the highest number of views on any video with over 109M clicks in 24 hours.
Now, that’s quite the Zoom call.
Via u/memezar
While Justin Bieber wasn’t exactly pitching quarterly projections to his C-level superiors on the main stage’s 60-foot computer screen, he was laughing alongside Vine-era memes and revisiting the YouTube archives that launched the pop star’s career. He was heavily criticized for openly doomscrolling in front of everyone and failing to entertain the crowd. However, ultimately, this unconventional stage set proved to be more profound and meaningful than any fan could have anticipated.
This strange performance unlocked memories for Coachella spectators and Beliebers all over the world with videos they had forgotten existed. As if anyone could truly forget that an innocent, 13-year-old Justin Bieber sang cover songs online before he rose to fame. The YouTube deep-dive sparked overwhelming nostalgia and memories of everyone’s childhood innocence.
Via Justin Bieber
Could this sweet, young boy with the voice of an angel really grow up to become the tattooed, tortured artist everyone saw on stage? Hate him or love him, Justin Bieber took everyone on an emotional ride with this one.
Via u/girlyzar
Watching old footage of a teenybopper Justin Bieber singing cover songs that predated his global fame, showcases the rollercoaster of his career from early innocence to infamy. It was precisely these internet-famous home videos that helped Justin Bieber get discovered by the ruthless, star-studded mogul, Scooter Braun, in 2008. Braun ultimately sent Bieber down a whirlwind path of money, fame, self-destruction, and finally, personal healing.
Like many child stars, Bieber has endured decades of living under a microscope with every action, every decision, and every failure heavily scrutinized by the public, which, of course, has taken a toll on his mental health. In recent years, Bieber has receded from the public eye to focus on himself, his wellness, and his budding family. Despite the mundaneness of that, it’s oddly heroic.
After many years of public personal growth, Justin Bieber is now the man everyone saw at Coachella: Raw, unapologetic, and completely transparent about his journey. If that’s not the most heartfelt statement made at Coachella, I don’t know what is…
Art is meant to make people feel something, and Bieber’s unorthodox performance certainly tugged on the world’s heartstrings and sparked a whole new resurgence of Bieber fever.
Becoming a Belieber
Spending most of his life being idolized, criticized, or memeified, Justin Bieber knows a thing or two about feeling exposed, so perhaps it was only nature to lay himself bare at Coachella.
Still, critics tore apart this performance, comparing Bieber’s “low-energy” set to Sabrina Carpenter’s exuberant on-stage circus. While each artist chose drastically different approaches to their Coachella headliner slot, how can audiences compare apples to oranges? Guardian journalist, Adrian Horton, specifically comments on the divisive nature of Bieber’s set, claiming, “The stripped-down vision, with minimal audience asides, read as either radically vulnerable or disappointingly self-interested from reportedly the highest-paid Coachella headliner of all time.”
But isn’t the entire purpose of music festivals, and Coachella specifically, to give audiences a variety of experiences?
Via u/lexvitale
Like all artistic expressions, Bieber’s YouTube deep-dive is easily misunderstood when looked at with a surface-level perspective. Although, in an industry that’s driven by audience love, appreciation, and understanding, it’s Bieber’s fans who ultimately proved just how impactful this performance was.
After years of seclusion and minimal public drama, Bieber’s Coachella appearance and his intimate performance spoke to Beliebers ( avid Justin Bieber fans) on a spiritual level. Whether they watched from the hot deserts of Indio or streamed the show from the comfort of their couch, Justin Bieber made every fan feel deeply included on a lifelong journey they’ve undoubtedly been a part of since day one.
Regardless of a $10M paycheck, evoking emotions on that scale is no easy feat.
Via u/overtime