What did we do to Justin Bieber?

Since the Free Britney movement we as a society have reevaluated fame and if it really is the teenage dream that it’s marketed as, and we’ve settled on a resounding no. However, I don’t really hear Justin Bieber’s name come up in a lot of these talks and I wanted to discuss why that is - especially since Bieber is the blueprint of what it means to become famous via the internet.
In this video essay I argue that Bieber was the first child star born from the digital age and perhaps the last global super star of the millennial generation, and perhaps ever.
I also delve into Bieber’s personal life and how the dream he was living was in fact, a nightmare, and how he’s coping with being a former teen icon and idol.
TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 Intro
2:57 Who Is Justin Bieber? And His Rise to Fame
8:33 The Scandals
16:42 The Purpose Re-Brand
19:50 His Current State
25:22 The Evolution of Online Fame: From Singing to Influencing
27:43 The Last Global Superstar?
30:13 Justin Bieber as a Social Experiment That Should Never Be Done Again
Video Sources:
Never Say Never (2011)
Believe (2013)
Our World: Justin Bieber (2021)
KZbin Originals:
Justin Biebers: Seasons
Justin Bieber: Next Chapter | A Special Documentary Event (Official)
Articles:
www.nytimes.com/2010/01/03/fa...
revistacrescer.globo.com/Educ...
g1.globo.com/rio-de-janeiro/n...
www.purepeople.com.br/noticia...
edition.cnn.com/2014/06/01/sh...
abcnews.go.com/blogs/entertai...
www.eonline.com/news/479581/j...
www.cbsnews.com/pictures/woma...
www.officialcharts.com/chart-...
www.rollingstone.com/music/mu...
edition.cnn.com/2023/01/24/me...
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My last three videos: (◕‿◕✿)
Avatar and the Wh*te Imagination (or lack thereof) | • The Lack of Creativity...
How to Deal with a Bully (as Seen on TV) | • How to Deal with a Bul...
Why Kids Are Breaking Up with Their Parents: A Video about Parental Estrangement | • Why Kids Are Breaking ...

[@colie7362]

As a former huge Justin Bieber fan, I laughed so hard when she said Justin Bieber’s dads name was JACK💀💀💀💀 it’s Jeremy 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@CheyenneLin]

just realizing now that jack is jeremy's middle name not his first name lol 😬🥲😂

[@colie7362]

@@CheyenneLin hhaha! No worries, it just threw me so off guard I had to comment 😂

[@jhaneyhamlett]

the way i instinctively said “jeremy???”

[@yvonneewing6081]

Justin was definitely the kpop idol equivalent in the US

[@wherethesunsets]

for sure, or at least with the internet approach, the fan service/public perception (including the femininity, soft and the fact he was targeted towards girls mostly and how a girl/ woman marketed item usually has a such a misogynistic backlash)

[@hillarywin]

Most of his hatred was fueled by men, who were confused why their girlfriends liked Justin more than their traditionally masculine self. So they resorted to calling him gay, gave massive hate for no reason, the internet was so brutal to him. it was really unfair

[@Azarath_Metrion_Zinthos]

@@hillarywin and now that the effiminate side among males is more common among many male celebrities and accepted in main stream media... The gay slander is not as strong as it once was for JB either... Cus of how much our political climate has changed over the decade.... JB truly had to take the brunt of all the Homophobic diss and all.

[@nehalilisays]

Fun fact: His manager's company is nowadays part of a Kpop corporation (Hybe) that became big because of BTS and has recently debuted a girl group with members aged 14 to 18 - they have become popular quickly and it is a little bit concerning? (Even though it probably helps to be in a group when dealing with fame since the attention isn't so focussed on one person)

[@soultune908]

@@nehalilisaysfun fact: most kpop idols debuted when they r at that age. Even in Bts, the youngest mem was 15 when he debuted. He was 13 when he was training. That’s a sad fact. It’s common in Korea for idols to debut when they r minors. Hope that changes

[@haileybalmer9722]

I have very strong feelings about this. I do not like Justin Bieber's music. I do not like him as a person. But he was a child, and he's a human being, and he's been through a lot. The number of people I've met who feel that celebrities are not entitled to any kind of personal life is sickening. We can collectively decide that we don't like the way he behaved, but we all did this to him. At his worst, he was a mirror of everything we put on a pedestal. I'm glad he's getting some healing, and I hope he continues his healing journey. I'm so sorry that fame happened to him.

[@angelr5694]

well said

[@apparentlyasun]

this comment perfectly sums up how i feel about him too. i don't like him and think he's an asshole, but he did not deserve to be treated the way he was by the public at all and clearly went through so much trauma. nobody deserves that. child stardom is wrong and fucks people up in so many ways

[@BirthweenBoi]

TL;DR

[@STRcircaFKR]

​@@BirthweenBoi Read

[@BirthweenBoi]

@@STRcircaFKR no nigga

[@blue______]

He cried talking about Billie Eilish. He said that he feel like he has to protect her because he see her as a mirror of him when he was younger. Her amount of fame, talent and the same age. They are friends so I hope their friendship turns out into something good for both of them

[@osmanyousif7849]

The sad thing is though, most people seem to not realize that you can’t protect anyone if you can’t even try protecting yourself.

[@blue______]

@@osmanyousif7849 To a certain extent I differ, since it is very normal for people who are unwell to unconsciously give good advice based on their own experiences, which they themselves cannot follow. Easier said than done. And also, Justin looks pretty good, compared to other years. Obviously he must have his problems but so does everyone. I don't really like those kinds of sayings like "you can't love anyone without first loving yourself." Everyone deserves sincere love, and even more so if you are going through a bad time and don't have the tools to love yourself. Having people who support you and encourage you is crucial in times like this. And I think Justin has a ton of experience in the industry and could give good advice to anyone new to it.

[@clarityvee]

I still have VERY vivid memories of interviewers asking Justin Bieber at age 14 if he got gifted bras and panties from fans and they judged him for saying he threw them away. Even back then I thought that was so weird and inappropriate to ask him. I just hope he’s doing way better now behind the scenes.

[@LilXancheX]

I think he should’ve kept them. He’s a male no?

[@clarityvee]

@@LilXancheX he was a child. even if he wasn’t, you’re gonna keep dirty, sweaty delicates from strangers? unsanitary and insane. people with mindsets like you are the problem.

[@Candyrock15]

​@@LilXancheX please shut up

[@98_juno]

@@LilXancheXhe was a child, dude 😐

[@LilXancheX]

@@98_juno ok but where’s his manhood?

[@allthingsunimportant]

I really hope the trajectory of adults treating children like humans and not things continues. Childhood trauma ain't a joke. Celeb or otherwise. To be unheard is... Honestly the worst. I speak from experience.

[@ernie39]

Agreed!

[@BirthweenBoi]

You and me both….

[@Frederick1483]

but it’s not actually the worst by any means

[@BirthweenBoi]

@@Frederick1483 fvck yes

[@empatheticrambo4890]

This has made me reflect on how me and other young boys at the time policed masculinity by saying things like “Justin Bieber isn’t a man, he’s so girly,” whatever. Which in hindsight is really gross of course, but it says something about masculinity among boys

[@robin1016]

And a lot of them were closeted JB fans too

[@nameisamine]

Also, It was politics of resentment as a major signifier of traditional masculinity was the ability to attract the opposite sex which bieber could do just by breathing 😅 it’s a (young) male fantasy to have that kind of power over young women & girls. If you can’t compete, you’ll at least try to cut him down to size by relentlessly mocking him.

[@kineticmeow9242]

Yeah a lot of my male classmates from school made fun of Bieber like crazy. At the time I didn’t understand their obsession in Bieber looks as I was just a kid then.

[@piroshk1968]

right. Ive noticed (at least back in the day, when JB was *the* idol at the time) that young boys would tear him apart any moment they could, but at the same time JB's haircut became the go-to hairstyle for tween boys. much 2 think about

[@LilXancheX]

@@piroshk1968 years later: I’m still fucking with the hairstyle 🔥

[@harriyanna]

tbh, i can't help but feel bad for this man. i remember that era of when everyone was saying he was a brat but he was literally a teen and he literally was the one bringing in all the money for his family. so many people used him.and i am not defending him for all the wrong he had done because NO but also i can not deny that he needed help. its just, sad.

[@annabelconstantine1241]

Girl I just got finished watching ur video about Dan and monster high and here u is

[@growingupwithdisney]

It really is, he just needed actual genuine people who were truly there for him, sounds very lonely. There’s even a video of him crying for Billie Eilish because he didn’t want her to experience the things he did

[@louisachalarca6494]

It’s bigoted adults acting surprised a child is saying the n word like he learned it just out of thin air and not that he’s behaving like every racist confused white now rich person. And the adults his team seem similar in the documentary to r Kelly’s team saying yeah I saw it thought it was weird and think that’s that not they made an extreme immoral failing. I don’t cry for a rich kid but I’m glad my family isn’t my employees . Just sets what could happen under gasoline.

[@LilXancheX]

What bad? Lmao people have done far worse than him. All he did was goof off, ignorant and irresponsible. But he didn’t necessarily do anything bad. Abandoning a monkey? It’s an animal bro… People use dogs to fight. We kill cows, and we’re defending a monkey? Come on bro. Y’all just like to hate him cuz everyone else hates him.

[@Imxel21]

@@LilXancheX look up justin ‘one less lonely’

[@sharaineroberts8537]

I think you made some valid points. Here in the US, we have child labor laws that are enforced except in the entertainment industry for the most part. My son is a drummer. He has been drumming since 10 years old. However, when producers or industry people offer him jobs I always explain to him that it means he would be working a job like me and not have free time to do what he wants. I made a point to introduce him to successful musicians and singers so he could hear and learn what it means to work in the industry. I did that for every career he claimed he wanted to do. The other day he said he had a great childhood but he also realized unfortunately to be successful in the entertainment industry you give up your youth or work at a young age. It's the proverbial saying stuck between a rock and a hard place. Which is sad.

[@starry_juno]

well said honestly :( Thank you for sharing. Even if im in my 20s, I just now started to understand that as a trade-off

[@kennyb1588]

I had to do some research on underage work permits and stuff and it was crazy to me that the entertainment industry has a completely different set of laws at a way younger age atleast in California it changes depending on state but what’s worse to me is that California’s are decently strict but most Hollywood production will film outside of California to avoid them

[@starry_juno]

@@kennyb1588 Oh gosh, yeah I see what you mean, thats no good 🙁

[@TheDawnofVanlife]

Here’s the thing about child labor laws. Even where they exist, they are about clocking in and clocking out. Something that works when you work at like a summer camp as a teen over the summer, but also something that has always had ‘hard to apply’ rules in entertainment. Technically sitting on a tour bus being shipped from city to city to perform is not ‘working’ your call time to stage until end of performance is ‘working’. Technically you could qualify some things on press tours as ‘working’ but there are a lot of hours where most people in entertainment are ‘working’ (like going to an awards show is publicity) but may be seen on paper as an activity in your free time. Also all of the US is not equal. Because there are so many industry kids in Hollywood there are a lot more child labor laws in like California then say Florida, which is why Nickelodeon was using Florida as a filming location for a lot of their shows with child actors. But even in California there are things that are technically working but not legally ‘work hours’ that you can squeeze into a child performers schedule without technically violating the child labor laws.

[@kineticmeow9242]

Unfortunately US doesn’t enforce it as well as it should be. More than 100 children as young as 13 years old cleaned dangerous meat processing equipment using hazardous chemicals for a sanitation company contracted by major meat and poultry producers, the U.S. Department of Labor announced Friday.

[@MISSMADISONMEDIA]

I used to think Justin was so lucky, and now this whole story breaks my heart. He was so obviously exploited. The executives chose the most impoverished, naive, and blindly religious family they could find. They knew exactly what they were doing. In retrospect, Patti was a very lost young mother. This was all honestly by design. It’s so sad.

[@MISSMADISONMEDIA]

Ugh this video is so upsetting!!! Scooter is a fake friend and terrible guardian likeeeee

[@MISSMADISONMEDIA]

It’s giving cash cow

[@nfbconnect]

And now Scooter Braun owns the music industry. He will be on his way to Bezos wealth status soon. He has hurt so many and has so much power that he's gonna get away with it. He says it himself that he had Asher Roth in an illegal condo, Justin and his mom in an illegal apartment, had Asher babysitting Justin, was two months away from having to tell them all he was "a fake" and ran out of money but then Asher wrote one song and scooter had a $1million pub deal from that one song 30 days later. The rest is history. He only got that deal bc was hustling in Atlanta with party stunts and met a few of the right people.

[@Tylalala]

His career up until the end of the Purpose era was such an iconic era in my own life. Multiple fan accounts, staying up late for his birthday, many other weird and unnecessary things 💀 all happy memories though! A legend for sure, at least for me

[@FaiaHalo]

I really like this video. Children should always be treated with respect and we should respect their boundaries. And I appreciate you said this is not an apologetic video for him, because he did and keeps doing harmful and awful stuff that never, ever gets taken accountable as he keeps getting support, money and huge platform that keeps justifying his behavior. PS: much love from Latin America!

[@happyme6838]

what behaviour are you talking about exactly?

[@meiilu7799]

bro what did he do and does now that is so terrible and harmful💀

[@alegd24]

the way there will ALWAYS be people trying to put justin down like what did this man ever do to yall? the amount of hate he still gets to this day after all the world has already put him through is disgusting

[@basilhenry-eyo6522]

What is he doing that’s harmful now?😂😂😂😂

[@TheUnstoppableBar]

What does he do now? He’s literally been out of trouble for YEARS. And even back in the day, I feel like his bad actions were a result of the things he’s been through.

[@zoegarden]

I loved Justin growing up being around 4th and 5th grade when my world & my world 2.0 came out. Being an adult now at 24, it’s insane to see how much was on his shoulders at such a young age. Purpose is still a bop album, but I haven’t rly listened to him since that came out.

[@WoeisBriee]

Literally same! I just turned 24 a few weeks ago and I was a super fan of Justin’s from like 10-17. It is crazy to watch this all back now and see how much he had gone through

[@nameisamine]

His album sales kinda dipped after purpose, I don’t know if he’ll have an album as big as that ever again. I feel like we’re witnessing past-peak Justin Bieber which is insane to say because he’s not even 30 yet, he’s only 28. He should be in his prime. The past two albums were mediocre imho.

[@LilXancheX]

@@WoeisBriee why don’t people listen to him anymore? Did you grow out of it?

[@WoeisBriee]

@@LilXancheX I personally grew out of it once I became an adult and I just don’t care for his new music as much

[@bizzlesctrl8007]

@@nameisamine justice album is selling really well acc so ntm on him, it’s gonna be so hard to outdo purpose in sales since it’s like the 2nd most sold album ever so cut him so slack😭

[@nuclearseahorse]

It never occurred to me that he was literally 12 when he started becoming famous. He's older than me so I wasn't old enough to realize that he was so young. Ik that if he had debuted now I'd be pissed off like i am with all the kpop groups debuting middle schoolers

[@adam-l74]

It’s difficult because not only was he a child on the receiving end of world wide fame but also huge amounts of bullying that people justify as “well he’s a public figure so this is what he gets” but so much of that came from people who were not his target audience and really just enjoyed saying hateful things. I think so many people have been raised and entertained on internet bad faith criticism that we just normalize hatred and looking down on entertainment we have no business consuming. Like if you feel like you’d be embarrassed if people knew you liked Twilight or Justin Bieber then maybe you should also avoid bullying it’s fans and creators under the guise of “critiquing” it.

[@InThisEssayIWill...]

With regards to the parallels between Burnham and Bieber I think it's important to note that their similarities start and end at being kids on the internet Bo graduated with honors from a private school with a loving family... Bieber's education sounds like it ended when he became a star at 13 and if his mother was urging him to pursue a career that young.. and willing to hand him over to a production team I think it's fair to speculate that learning was probably never a main focus in his house growing up. "Bo is an intellectual" because he was given an opportunity to learn "Bieber took a lot longer to reach self awareness" because he had to build it from the ground up, no examples to look up to.. and no feedback but the tabloids. Honestly I think he's done as well as can be expected given his circumstances and I'm glad he made it through alive. I'm not a big fan of his music but he still deserves my compassion... I have a teen son and I could NEVER... It's just heartbreaking.

[@tatehildyard5332]

Also, Repeat Stuff I think was less about Bieber as a person and more about making fun of the way record companies use Bieber types to capitalize on and commodify the budding feelings of young women. Yes it hasn’t aged the best, the arguments themselves are phrased in very 2010s “everything is so fake” smugness and it does rely on the weirdly recurring “Bieber might be the anti-Christ” trope, but at least one can give Burnham credit for the fact that Bieber wasn’t the only butt of the joke (which is more than you can say for most 2010s parody content) and the fact that the people he was mocking were the ones who actually deserved the call out.

[@krysnb84]

Yeah I hope there won’t be another Justin Bieber, just for that child’s sake. I wish that kind of exploitation wasn’t so important for some families to get out of poverty.

[@fatimahanwaar306]

agreed! children are not money-making machines and if you're a parent wanting your child to become famous to escape from poverty you've failed yourself

[@truecrimechick]

Justin actually has a song on his Believe album called “Maria” who was an insane stalker he once had. Mind you he was only 17/18 at the time and having to deal with that as well. This video really made me feel for him. Thank you for humanizing him. Nobody is perfect and everybody makes mistakes, that’s not an excuse for his behaviour. I can’t even imagine the pressure he was under at such a young age, and having your every move under a magnify glass..

[@samkcatladyaks]

The way scooter wouldn’t let Taylor buy her masters is just proof enough to me that guy is petty, does things for himself, loves a pier imbalance, and has a hard time reflecting inwards. It worried me when Demi signed with him too...regardless of what you think of her, she needs people who truly care about her in her corner.

[@shanechristiana137]

I'm glad you mentioned about the hate JB got from jealous men. I truly believe its this hate that drove him to the state he is at. Not just his other actions. Especially for a 16 year old kid, getting approval from men is a thing hence why he acted like a vandal. I went to a school where if you were a guy that liked JB, you'd get bullied ruthlessly. Jealous men are truly a threat to society and ruined a talented young life like Justin. I feel like the same hate goes towards other guys like Harry Styles, except Harry is confident and isn't bothered at all.

[@musicme247]

Excellent video as always Cheyenne! I also want to highlight how much he was over sexualized as a kid. In endless interviews and he was always being flirted with by women decades older than him and in some ways they seemed to be playing into his "flirty" image but that flirting was aimed at other teenage girls and is incredibly cringey when you watch it back today. Watching women like Kim Kardashian and other flirt and joke that "if he was older..." is jaw dropping. It's no wonder why he had an unhealthy relationship with sex during his dark time in 2014. On all accounts, the adults in his life failed him and they justify it using his success.

[@longlivebeans]

Idk what it’s like to be a rich former child star turned bible thumper but I do know what it’s like to experience your whole body deteriorate from trauma & drug use so I empathize with JB. When he started physically falling apart, I felt that shit on a deep level & just wanted to give him a hug.

[@yasminealexandraaa]

The deterioration is SO real. Hard to explain it to people who haven’t lived it.

[@itsmarthai]

I didn't know he had so many chronic illnesses :( that's extremely common in survivors of childhood trauma and overworked people and child stars tend to be both. Child stardom is a very specific brand of trauma that gets brushed under the rug too often, thanks for speaking about it. There is something that you might find interesting and isn't discussed often because there are no official sources, but Hailey was actually a big fan of his when they were teens, like, "underground message networks telling which hotel he was staying at" kind of fan. It wasn't a situation where they were both famous and coincided at an event and it goes from there, it was specifically because of *him*, like you mentioned in the bit where all the world revolved around him. I'm glad it all worked out and they love and get each other, but it could be a contributor to the stress in the relationship (along with the pressure from haters and the media etc). Being famous means nobody ever meets you on a clean slate--we all know how much it sucks when people have preconceived notions based on stories someone told them about us, imagine what it's like when it's the whole world that behaves that way. It's horrific that society thinks it's an ok thing to do to children just because they enjoy the content they produce.

[@absolutelynotellen]

I still remember those Justin Bieber's copycats in the early 2010's. Austin Mahone, Cody Simpsons, Grayson Chance....

[@MilaBelen]

I don't think they 'copied' him (and if there were intentions to do it, it probably was from the companies those boys were from), maybe Justin just set a trend (I'm aware in other decades there were famous kids already, but he was in a place to be a pioneer of that time, making 'a little boy turned pop star' in a huge massive way)

[@absolutelynotellen]

@@MilaBelen yeah i know. But i called it "copycats" because similar vibes they had ( teen boy popstar that became big )

[@jadacampbell9331]

@@MilaBelen ur right ✅️

[@username980]

1D too we’re signed as a direct consequence of Bieber and them wanting to have a band of 5 Bieber’s

[@Azarath_Metrion_Zinthos]

@@username980 i remember Liam & Louis having the same hair style like JB... Also Niall even revealed that he was a huge fan of him at the time during the x factor days... Naill & Justin did meet couple of times and ended up hanging out.

[@gabeguarin1096]

I really appreciate the making of this video and the level of empathy that went into it.

[@TwelveTeacups]

Thanks for making this. I'm an older millennial and I know nothing about him, just the headlines. This is an important video. x

[@shadyguy23]

It's funny, having never paid much attention to Justin Bieber, I had mostly interpreted "Repeat Stuff" and "Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping" as takedowns of the music industry in general rather than specifically targeting Bieber - it wasn't until I was forced to watch "Never Say Never" years later that I realized (somehow my wife loves both "Never Say Never" and "Popstar")

[@Fumi007]

Got my scuba gear. Let’s do this!

[@cerisejaxel9636]

This is so well researched, Cheyenne! I can tell you put a lot into it. It’s really eye opening how the adults in Justin’s life failed him. He did many things that are not okay and should be held accountable as well. On the other hand, it disturbs me how far some people will go to dig up dirt on famous people. No one is perfect and everyone has done or said something ignorant at some point. I don’t like the idea of people exposing something you did 15 years ago to the world when you’ve grown exponentially since then. Thanks for sharing. I was somewhat of a fan of his in the earlier Bieber days, but wouldn’t admit it to many because of how his fans got treated at the time.

[@LeticiaChaveiro]

What an amazing video, amazing script. As a Belieber (since 2010) i agree with everything, thank you for bringing such a relevant view on an important subject. Love your work

[@FervidlyCurious]

That’s why I understand him so much ! He was exposed to too many things quite young His emotions are felt through his songs

[@safona374]

100% true that justin bases his personality on being a husband

[@safona374]

and hailey on being a wife

[@weirdkimion]

Justin Bieber and I are the same age. I always saw him as a peer. He's definitely done things that made me mad or upset but in the back of my mind I always felt like he had a tough life. And now that I'm grown I can't imagine all he went through. His actions and behaviors are completely understandable. I can't say for sure I would have done things differently I'm his shoes.

[@whodatgurl13]

Him saying one less lonely n*gger was not understandable

[@LilXancheX]

Yes you would. When you have all that money and freedom, who’s stopping you? Exactly…

[@MilaBelen]

When you mentioned his scandals in Latin America it instantly came to mind the concert in Argentina where he mopped and kicked the argentinian flag. That was so unexpected🤨 Also he was supposed to perform here last year after a decade and he cancelled the dates DAYS before the show, argentinian beliebers (and nearby countries' beliebers) were so upset of course Edit: So glad to see your face again!🙌🏻

[@kiriki4558]

And people also made up that he thew up on the flag to make it sound worse.

[@palomasofiaalcalde382]

He also destroyed his hotel room like in Brazil. He couldn't come back here bc he could've gone to jail or sth.

[@alegd24]

so nice of you to purposefully avoid stating that he didn't know it was the argentinian flag, and that it had condoms and bras on it so he couldn't even have thought about it as a flag. Also the fact he apologized and explained he didn't do it on purpose. OH! And the fact he cancelled the show because he was SICK like he even had a face paralysis a few months prior and he was recovering.. you're sick and disgusting

[@abbied]

@@palomasofiaalcalde382Damn

[@lizplayspapagames]

I wouldn't call Lil Nas a global superstar. JB can definitely fill stadiums in South America, where I come from. Lil Nas can't. If we're going to talk about global stars, we can't just mention North America and Europe.

[@brittneyking4284]

Agree

[@MISSMADISONMEDIA]

Justin could fill a stadium anywhere, anytime, to this day! Let’s be fr

[@lizplayspapagames]

@FIREWATERBBY true! He's well known everywhere he goes. like his name is an actual global brand.

[@nameisamine]

Lil Nas X is definitely not a global superstar yet. When he’s selling out large arenas/stadiums across Europe, South America and Asia, we can have that conversation. His album sales are also VERY lukewarm. He’s very much a singles artist.

[@nameisamine]

@@lizplayspapagames Lil Nas has never done a world tour and when he started his most recent tour I was nosy about how many tickets he could sell. He was doing 6k capacity theatres, not 20k arenas. Demand for Lil Nas isn’t as big as we thought, don’t believe the hype.

[@JemLeavitt]

Really thoughtful analysis.

[@kaloveshoran]

justin was my Beatles. no regrets

[@sopranophantomista]

What really sucks about all this is that we know what happens when a young kid gets a level of fame such as this. Michael Jackson was forever chasing a childhood that he didn't have because of his part in the Jackson 5. We know what happens through the likes of Brittany Spears, where fame can get so much you break, and when you break you get nothing but ridicule. We've done this before, and we learned nothing.

[@shakanotzulu6407]

I liked the amount of research put into this video. Thinking about Justin Bieber, made me realise that when the music video for Baby came out I didn't even know it was a teen boy singing it. I thought it was a girl singing about her girlfriend, and I loved it so much. Then years later I learned that the singer was a guy, and it took a little off the shine of the memory of seeing that music video. Then I saw a bunch of mean spirited jokes about how he dressed like a lesbian. It was only years later that I could appreciate the song coming a Canadian teenaged boy. Sometimes I wished non heteronormative songs were as popular and beloved as Baby. And my wish came true with Lil Nas X. I hope he does get the help he needs, and that his team realise how dirty they treated him.

[@__itsangel____]

So you don’t like “baby” cause it’s song by a guy talking about a girl but when it was a girl talking about a girl you loved it…? 💀

[@towel1636]

There's no way💀

[@m.i7211]

Op liked it because they thought it was a song about a lesbian relationship but it turned out that it was a hetero relationship. Is it so hard to understand?

[@Azarath_Metrion_Zinthos]

@@__itsangel____ are u slow? Where did the OP say they didn't like it? They said they were upset because of the memory of the song they had for a long time was relating to a lesbian relationship... Which only later they found out it was not... That doesn't mean they like the song any less.. lol

[@Candyrock15]

​@@__itsangel____ yeah? Why not? Maybe OP is a lesbian and was happy to see some gay representation in an era where being queer was still so taboo and demonised?

[@Daydreamerr13]

The end of the era. We won’t ever see anymore pop stars, especially nothing like the Justin Bieber era.

[@souleaterevans4589]

Imagine being an adult and saying a 12yo's music is "girly" and "gay"

[@imadethatbtchfamous]

bro💀

[@RS-zl4vs]

Yeah ppl in the early 2010s were openly homophobic to him even tho the isnt gay its crazy 😂

[@blake7570]

This was an incredibly well done and fascinating video. The section talking about global superstars really described something I had been thinking about lately.

[@chidivids2005]

Justin wasn't really popular in my country until he was in his 'bad boy' era, at which he became slang for a misbehaved kid and fizzled out as quickly as he rose. I feel bad for him, but can't say I thought much of him before this video. Surprised to learn this about him though, poor kid

[@motherhammer]

I hope you continue to make creative and well-thought out videos!

[@CheyenneLin]

thank you so much! i definitely will :)

[@blessedbrebre]

Yet another great video Cheyenne! His racist remarks are never something I'll forget, but I'll also remember how much how he was enabled during that time. I love that you mention how much he has struggled not only mentally but in the industry too. I've said this for years about him. I really like that he's taking his career in his own hands.

[@adelinab.2678]

Love your deep dives!❤️

[@GoogleUser-qr3ev]

Honestly I haven't seen beyond the gassed up cringe content made about him to actually have some empathy for his situation before. They really do pop artists so dirty, like this makes me think of Britney 💜

[@dean-in-trenchcoat536]

i really appreciate the amount of research u do for ur videos and tge way u convey that information.. entertaining anf informative!!

[@DSnake655]

Probably some of the best commentary about this guy yet made.

[@incubus_the_man]

I've also noticed a lot of drug references in popular music today and I think that a lot of pop stars use drugs to self-medicate. Being a celebrity isn't just a job, it's a lifestyle and they can't really escape it. So a lot of them resort to using drugs as a way of self-medicating. As a guy, I always had respect for JB's masculinity... He's not macho but he doesn't have to be. It's hard for a straight man to show emotions or not be tough but still be seen as attractive. At the same time, I think that a lot of his more recent style tattoos, facial hair etc) might be a way of reclaiming his masculinity. He's trying to lose the look he had in his teens.

[@atlas_cass]

This was really well thought out! I enjoyed every second :D

[@Yupthatsme_7D]

This video is mint and I want to acknowledge the total upgrade in production! You did amazing

[@nia-yl7lq]

I was a Bieber fan since I was at least 11, I’m now 25. I stopped listening to him after he got married and released mediocre music. I’m not surprised he sold his catalog, changes and the other album were never going to top his old stuff. Michael Jackson also used an oxygen chambers so idk why Hailey is acting as if it’s never been seen before. I never thought Hailey and him were compatible but I wish him the best of luck. His wife has a new found fame from being with him, from her modelling career and now her skincare she is almost akin to Kendall Jenner. Thank you Cheyenne for breaking this down because as a fan I would have never have known he was this much of a victim. Finally, I don’t believe Billie or Lil Nas X are as large as he was and will never be. Justin rose to fame during the time when KZbin didnt pay out as much as they did in 2016 onwards, content was not as readily available. He came at the moment before everything was oversaturated, spotify wasn’t as popular. So many things that contributed to how he is an icon in the industry.

[@chaos9079]

😂 why don't you just say you dislike Hailey and move on instead of giving us an essay to read

[@brittneyking4284]

@@chaos9079right

[@Gutalol]

Great video as always!

[@larsland]

I’m so excited for this.

[@spencertorres5794]

Haven’t even watched yet but commenting to boost the algorithm! Love all your videos keep it up 🙏❤️

[@yasmina1994]

this was so well documented. i feel as though internet hate is so easily manipulated people are always trying to find a story like this hailey bieber hate train going on right now is so beyond ridiculous 💀

[@993LD]

Love this take! I appreciate all of your videos ❤️

[@carrotman]

I get this. I do end up feeling some sympathy that he had a lot to deal with when he was just a kid and even now and that was always gonna change him. I ended up feeling the same way on Arianna Grande. She was famous through high school only to be dumped in a pop career where her boyfriend (another popstar) overdosed and a terrorist blew up her gig. I think with stuff like Cribs or tour behind the scenes things you don't see how much this life can mess with you. Even it going well is stressful.

[@MarsOnMercury]

Can we talk about your look in this video !!! Stunning ! I love your videos you have such down to earth insight. Still watching the video as we speak but I just had to pump you up a little bit ! 🎉❤🔥

[@dankcatfood5146]

Great retrospective!

[@polinaosipova1843]

Great reserach and analysis, as always

[@sciencegeek46]

Love your channel! I'm excited everytime I see a new video. Thank you!

[@CoconutGirl333]

This was so eye opening and sad to watch. I’ve been a fan throughout his career..watched him literally grow up. I never really saw how bad his team treated him during his difficult years..but it was disgusting and it’s sad because Justin will never get to relive those days. I don’t care about what anyone thinks about this, but I’ll always have a soft spot for Justin. Even after the controversy and whatnot..his talent and music still has a hold on me. his upbringing is fascinating and sad and I hope he continues to truly, fully HEAL internally. I’m rooting for him 💜

[@darksindraco]

Beautiful video as per usual

[@kuramonchi]

great video!! thank you for the insightful research!

[@misersmakeup-nguoihatien2316]

The way his father speaks about him (Justin) and what his son turned to be is just smack dap of what a person who has a kid when he himself is still a kid would say. There's zero understanding of the consequences of his own actions or any accountability. I find the whole situation is so typical of how very very very young adults (freaking 18 yrs old, still literal teenagers) are having kids and raising children. It's sad. I honestly hope they all can become better people for each other, at least. Also why do I never hear any good thing about this fucking church, it sounds more like a celebrity networking hub disguised as religious practice. It seems like the only thing they do is affirming their clientele's inflated sense of self, so they will give the church more money to do fucked up shit.

[@tommylakindasorta3068]

Great video. I like your perspective.

[@bizzlesctrl8007]

He’s still relevant today he so serious…acting like peaches and stay ain’t one of if not thee biggest song of the 2020s decade so far I need y’all to stop playing with him like

[@juanitamorgan5475]

I've listened to his old stuff from when he was a kid and I haven't started listening to his Justice album yet but I've got to listen to peaches everybody hates the song yummy but I don't hate it mostly because of what Justin is trying to say throughout the song and the music video

[@username980]

Video was good but it’s pretty weird that you’re acting like he’s irrelevant right now or that he “was” famous or that his fame has died. Or that Britney gets sympathy and not JB because people forgot about him lol despite JB being the one who’s still making hits to this day. It’s not true at all. The biggest song of the 2020s decade so far is Stay… by The Kid Laroi and Justin Bieber. The artist with the most songs over 1B streams is… Justin Bieber. He is in the top 10 biggest artists in the world right now on Spotify despite not releasing any music in 2 years (above people like Harry Styles, Beyoncé etc who released huge albums/singles this year). Before he cancelled his tour due to health issues he was selling out stadiums 100k+ capacity in minutes in 2022. His lack of music being released hasn’t impacted his popularity at all, just the rise of the internet has meant people can be less aware if they’re not fans, same as every other A+ list celeb like Taylor Swift Rihanna etc.

[@liliesstarlight]

I never really liked Justin Bieber, but damn he did go through alot. I'm a Taylor Swift fan, so I have quite knew about Scooter Braun's business and all, so when I heard about how he treated Justin, I'm confused how can he (Justin) defend Braun when Taylor came out about what was going on :( seems like Scooter really is a manipulative person

[@carolinemcgovern4488]

Honesty, this video made me even more pissed at Scooter Braun than I already was.

[@iamthecharacter5130]

Love the commentary

[@Bl00db3nder]

you just gained a new subscriber this video was fantastic

[@goromajima8309]

Great video!

[@arjuyede6959]

Justin is my favourite artist Period 💯Idc if everybody judge me for this

[@mariatejel4160]

It was awesome 💜

[@yemayaprincess]

I find this video pretty interesting, I feel like Justin went through a lot. Im glad you acknowledge this and understand that it was because he was a child going through explotation. People seems to forget that. Thank you for this video.

[@adleaiutrza]

hi , former crazed belieber here !! i was about 8 or 9 when justin hit the scene , and i was as big of a fan you could get. i followed him closely , bought merch , and even went to concerts till i was about 13. then i went through the whole hating justin phase like everyone else in my grade. but as time went on , i began to take a look at how tragic his life is. it’s clear that the people around him , while i believe they THINK they care , have never had his best interest in mind. the guy became a cash cow (one of the worlds most prevalent , at that) during the most formative time in his life. i dreamt of the same fate as a child , but cannot imagine how beyond fucked up my life would be if i would’ve followed in his footsteps in any way. for the past few years my mother and i have started casually tuning into him again. we are both of the same belief that he’s just a misguided soul in over his head. while his experiences do not excuse his actions , i feel like the general public so often fails to see nuance. we need to make sure what happened to him never happens to anyone ever again.

[@jhaneyhamlett]

i was a big justin bieber fan w a twitter fan page (that he followed and i made my personal account and he still follows me 💁🏽‍♀️) so i’ll always have a soft spot for him even if he does things that are questionable or upsetting. i have been saying lately i don’t think there has been any global phenomenons like justin or one direction, and maybe that’s for the best? but it feels kind of boring. i don’t think it’s good to exploit anyone especially a child or to violate a human this badly or to build them up just to tear them down, i think what the world put him through was terrible. but like i don’t think we’re seeing people that have such a cultural phenomenon. very mediocre people are becoming famous and i think that leads to us not being interested like we were before. which again is probably good, but i think there was something fun about being able to have this thing in common with a group of people your age. i also think there’s something to be said about how normal it was to hate him way back when and how it feels sexist. i feel like we as a society just don’t like things that we associate with something teenage girls take an interest in. if teenage girls like it then it’s stupid and everyone hates it and you’re made fun of for liking it. justin bieber, one direction (or any boy band), pretty little liars, britney spears, list goes on. now all of a sudden liking justin bieber is normal?? and i don’t have to feel embarrassed for liking him???

[@RecaJ333]

The part at the end when you talk about exploiting yourself being one of the only ways people think they can rise out of poverty...struck me. This whole video was amazing. I didn't even know about half of those scandals and I called my say a belieber in the past. 😅I think something else that may be important to note would be Aaron Carter, and how everything unfolded for him.

[@ladiorange]

Great video

[@thisisntahandle]

Great research

[@fatimahanwaar306]

I used to be a diehard Belieber in 2017 which only lead me to become cyberbullied by music elitists (some say that Justin Bieber is "ruining music" especially when they place classical music on a higher pedestal than pop music which is just wrong) however in 2020 I stopped becoming a Belieber after learning about Justin's views on abortion and learning that he collaborated with Chris Brown Tyga Future and R.Kelly who are known to be misogynists nowadays I only like Justin Bieber for his music and his fragrance line (especially his "Someday" perfume from 2011)

[@happyme6838]

For your information, his views on abortion were completely taken out of context my gosh. How can you people believe everything online so blatantly? The magazine that published the article itself came back and said that that's not what he actually meant. He supports women doing whatever the heck they want with their bodies. He said so on Ellen in 2020 itself, the year that you stopped being a "belieber". Besides, Justin doesn't associate himself with artists like r kelly anymore. I'm pretty sure you don't condemn Nick Jonas or Ariana Grande for the same thing? Both worked with Chris Brown? What about miss selena gomez who's worked with a r@pist and hanging out with another convicted seggsual offender? Pretty sure you've never heard of those. But just because he's Justin Bieber.... Sorry for the rant, but there is a huge propaganda against Justin Bieber, has been for years and years and when people blatantly buy into those lies it breaks my damn heart

[@mdeliacloherty]

Thank youuu!

[@angelapaola_]

I found this video today. And it was really interesting I really liked it! And I agree as a former belieber (still am at heart), I feel like and a lot of ways the industry failed Justin. 13 he was very little. And the fact that his team literally abandoned him by the time he was acting up at 18 or 19 is messed up because instead of putting him on the right track they just ignored him because he's a kid and "needed space". Especially during that period where he was already an adult recently where he wasn't feeling well mentally, that wasn't okay, where they just left him for a while. And it's true, a lot of what he did as a teenager is not okay. But it's the consequences of growing up in the industry from a very young age. It's never an excuse but nobody's perfect. Justin will always have a special place in my heart. For bringing out my inner fan girl. And I hope he is doing okay nowadays and that he's a lot happier

[@melbell7714]

Yikes, that first clip of him with that large crowd and camera clicks made me ANXIOUS 😬

[@empyrea_2546]

I used to watch the mean spirited parodies of Justin Bieber. And looking back, I can still remember a parody that made fun of him puking on stage...and now with this context of his struggles, we did him dirty. Anyways, I hope we don't have another Justin Bieber. No child should be put through this. But since there is a lot of wealth inequality, I wouldn't be surprised if another iteration came up or have they already? Idk...

[@SebastianSeanCrow]

19:53 if he gets royalties I think he should have kept his share. Like I’ve no idea if this means he loses all rights to his music or not. It sounds really scary.

[@theboy1625]

It is scary

[@bizzlesctrl8007]

No he’s still getting money, he only sold 20% of what HE owned, so dw he’s fine

[@pseudotsugame]

Honestly, I put off watching this because I thought I wouldn't be interested but this video was fascinating and made me think about the whole child star thing in a new way.

[@yoube449]

You are very intelligent person and I enjoy your videos

[@firecracker3911]

Good job 👍

[@cylefeliciano]

Tysm 💖

[@twiggledowntown3564]

I jsut watched Zoey's video after this, and she did a great job!

[@tinmanlover1994]

I'm not a JB fan or anything, but the video was good. I watched your doll video deep dives on Barbie and American Girl dolls

[@brittneyking4284]

I absolutely agree with you and I love Justin bieber ❤

[@dollseyk7198]

Make a video about Britney Spears

[@carolinemcgovern4488]

As someone who never followed Justin as a human being but still enjoyed a few of his songs from the purpose era, this video broke my heart- and makes me more grateful then ever for that Brazilian Mum who took steps to protect her daughter.

[@moustik31]

1994?! He is as young as my own little brother but it feels like he has lived 10x longer. 😳 Edit: I hate how Black performers enable Wh1te copycats like him, Bhad Baby, Iggy Azaela, etc. I also hate how global audience enjoy, when Black music is performed by non-Black artists.

[@lisah8438]

White people can sing R&Bmusic too. There are a lot of good white R&B singers. Teena Mare will always be one of my favorites. If you want to hate than hate. You're annoying.

[@brooklynlondon4383]

@@lisah8438 you missed her entire point there's nothing wrong with getting and using our music but discrediting and piggybacking off us without acknowleding our influence in music is crazy no such thing as hating culture vultures

[@bizzlesctrl8007]

@@brooklynlondon4383…But Justin doesn’t do that tho he’s literally very outspoken about how black people have influenced him and his music, all the money he made using MLK’s speech on his album which his daughter gave permission and thanked him for Went towards MLK’s Organisation and his daughter so don’t come here comparing him to bhad bhabie???

[@brie2191]

Watching this as Selena and hailey are “beefing” 😭😂

[@Chief]

I saw Justin Bieber riding a bike in Berlin in September, he was followed by so many people. cool guy lol