For many reasons Justin Beiber, at times a polarizing figure, is perhaps the greatest pop star of the past decade. The Biebs is a classic case study of what could happen when a teenager is awarded 200 million dollars. The ups and downs during Beiber’s music career assess the power of money, the role America plays in entertainers’ trajectory, and white privilege. Nonetheless, there is an amazing display of character shown through Justin’s actions, how he has managed to turn his life around, and his societal contributions.
At the tender age of twelve, Beiber managed to win America’s heart through his adorable YouTube channel and went on to sign a major recording deal with Universal Music Group three years later at the age of 15 in 2010. Bieber did not disappoint, his initial project, My World, debuted at number one on the Billboard charts and sold over 100,000 units within its first week. The fame and attention that came with the success was a massive undertaking for Beiber at the time; it was unprecedented, to say the least. To better understand what caused Beiber to go straight ballistic, we must take a closer look at his upbringing; he grew up in Stratford, a small town in Ontario, Canada. To give perspective, the average household income of Stratford, ON residents sits at $65,208; meanwhile, the average household income for Calabasas, CA residents is $138,656. For added context, Calabasas is deemed as the standard for wealth in the United States. In Beiber’s case, as the biggest star in the world, his talent afforded him a lifestyle that supersedes modesty, and who could tell him otherwise when he’s never experienced anything like it?
His massive success came along with a series of questionable events; Beiber began experimenting with parties, drugs, women, and even his identity as a young man; not in a sexual way but rather through the curation of an alternative image to acquire an urban audience, which some consider cultural appropriation. In 2011, The star confirmed his relationship with Selena Gomez after rumors surfaced that they were an item, and they quickly became America’s “it” teenage couple. The couple made it on the cover of every magazine and TMZ would snap pictures of the couple at every chance, for a while. Unfortunately, Beiber’s outlandish behavior along with cheating allegations caused the couple to part ways after three years. The aftermath of the breakup gave him a new label, the fuckboy.
Shortly after the breakup, Beiber found himself in a sequence of sticky situations. He got in trouble twice for spray-painting buildings while on tour, once in Brazil, and again in Bogota, Colombia, causing him a fortune in fines. In January 2014, Beiber got arrested in Miami for drunk driving, which led to 273,000 signatures demanding the White House for his deportation. Although the movement picked up traction, the White House did not deport the pop star. And to make matters worse, later that year, Beiber was ordered to pay more than $80,000 in restitution for egging a multi-million-dollar mansion in his Calabasas neighborhood. It seems as though Beiber could not catch a break at the time, and he opted to stay out of the limelight for a year to work on himself and focus on new music.
Just as he began to catch a break, a video of a younger Beiber surface in which he’s harmonizing the n-word to the tune of his hit record, One Less Lonely Girl. The outcome of Bieber’s antics roughed a lot of feathers and even started conversations around his cancellation as an artist. As a result, Beiber made a deliberate effort to mend relationships by owning up to his actions and being vulnerable with his fans through his popular Instagram account.
Society's Role
Entertainment in the United States is quite a slippery slope as it appears that the crazier an artist behaves, the more popular she or he becomes within the industry and amongst fans. There is a parallel that can be drawn in how entertainers are treated to that of exotic zoo animals. Let’s look at water parks, for example, one of the main reasons why killer whales don’t reach their full life expectancy is due to the fact they’re extracted out of their environments to perform activities that aren’t natural to their behavior. It’s almost like popstars are gaslighted to engage in risky activities in pursuit of a “badass” image for the sole purpose of influencing audiences, teenagers in Beiber’s case. We’ve seen this rodeo before, you cannot possibly award a teenager 200 million dollars and expect him to behave “normal”. There are many factors that needed to be accounted for early on including therapists and money managers.
Society at large is forgiving of Bieber despite his many mishaps, which is a rare occasion for entertainers of African American descent. To be a successful artist in America is a privilege for everyone, which can be taken away faster if the subject of said privilege is Black. When we look at Chris Brown who has a far greater cultural impact than Justin Beiber, and who has had a far more severe mishap; he has unofficially been cast as America’s biggest pop star turned villain over the past decade. Despite his massive success, Brown is often overlooked as the headliner for major events such as the Superbowl, Grammy’s, etc. That’s just not the case for Beiber; he’s given the benefit of doubt in any of those rooms.
Positive Contributions
Through the journey of self-discovery and reconciliation, Beiber is appearing to flip to a new chapter in his life. Beiber has changed course by opting to settle down with his wife Hailey and has shown a more empathetic side than ever before. Beiber has been vocal about societal issues including police brutality. In fact, he dedicated an entire album, Justice, to Black Lives Matter causes. He has been more cooperative by working with black acts such as Quavo, Summer Walker, Chance the Rapper, SZA and more. With his latest hit single, Peaches, he not only added another number one to his many existing ones, but he is intentionally shining the light on new acts like Daniel Ceasar and Giveon, who became popular on the music scene during the global pandemic. It is safe to say the space in which Beiber is operating today is a blueprint for how, arguably, the biggest pop star in the world should go about one’s career.
Growth
Beiber’s turnaround is impressive as many Hollywood stars never get to live up to their full potential once they go down the wrong path. In a recent interview, Hailey shared her perspective on the star’s growth, “I always say to him, ‘I’m so impressed with how normal you are because I don’t even know what that feels like to go through mentally, emotionally, physically,’” she said. “I know that it did have a big effect on him and I’m just grateful that he’s able to be the mature, stable adult that he is now.” The entire world got to experience Beiber’s rise to fame, his mishaps, and comeback story. To navigate fame the way Bieber has, most individuals would need a strong core, and a lot of mental fortitude.
The star is aging gracefully. In honor of Beiber’s 30th birthday, Madame Tussauds graced the star with his personalized wax figure.
It’s inspiring to see Justin Bieber’s growth and positive contributions to society, setting a great example for other artists to follow.
It’s inspiring to see Bieber’s growth and maturity over the years, and his positive contributions to society are commendable. It’s a reminder that everyone deserves a chance to learn and grow, regardless of their past mistakes.
It’s inspiring to see Bieber’s growth and positive contributions towards societal issues. His journey of self-discovery and reconciliation sets a great example for other artists in the industry.