In praise of Justin Bieber's eccentric Instagrams
On May 20, 2017, Justin Bieber decided he couldn't suffer in silence anymore. So the pop star posted five stone-faced selfies in rapid succession. Two were grayscale. Some repeated an image with a closer crop. They all had the same message: Bieber's left eye was battling conjunctivitis.
This is a great sign. You know, assuming that Bieber and his ophthalmologist cleared everything up.
Nobody likes you when you're 23, but at that cursed age when the infantile dregs of youth start to outwear their welcome, Bieber seems to have cracked the code of how to live his extraordinary life. Being Bieber is weird, man. There's no use pretending otherwise.
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The Conjunctivitis Series ended up getting well over a million likes each. It certainly fared better than the selfie series that kicked off events that culminated in Bieber deleting his account for several months last year.
The short version of the story is that Bieber posted a series of photos with Sofia Richie, whom he was dating at the time, and some Beliebers got pissed. Selena Gomez got involved, and eventually, he deactivated his account to dodge the constant commentary on his life.
Bieber was in a different place then. The transition from squeaky-clean teen heartthrob to adult is never easy, and Bieber's had more bumps on the road than some. A string of arrests crowded his record and, occasionally, Bieber's aggression turned towards the Beliebers themselves. Colorful incidents of bad behavior, like egging his neighbor's multi-million dollar mansion, and peeing in a bucket at nightclub, were hard to shake off.
Bieber's music was better than ever, though. Collaborating with Skrillex and Diplo's Jack Ü earned him a Grammy opened the door for Purpose, an ambitious album that carved out a new place for him in the pop world. Kanye loved it. That the album's catchiest song is named "Sorry" seemed like kismet -- Bieber was in a constant cycle of screwing up, apologizing, and reminding us why he's a superstar all over again.
After the album came out, Bieber was struggling. His actions ranged from bizarre (wandering barefoot through the streets of Boston) to troubling (yes, he continued fighting in night clubs.) The transgressions could have been brushed aside more easily if he kept it professional while on the job. Who hasn't bought in to a good tortured artist narrative? But Bieber seemed to be slipping very publicly as he tripped through the Purpose Tour. Standing was, occasionally, a challenge. His eyes were lifeless. He lashed out at crowds for screaming.
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After the Purpose Tour, he took a little time away from the spotlight and it seemed to work.
Boundaries are critical. He can't get behind awards shows, so he was a no-show at the Grammys even though he was up for the night's top prize. He enforces a no photos policy with fans who meet him on the street and decided when he'd be down to hug. Rosé, apparently, greases the wheels.
Bieber's performances lately have been lively. His set at Ariana Grande's One Love benefit for Manchester was heartfelt.
Despite declaring that "Instagram is for the devil" on stage, he eventually returned, and it's been a wild ride. Bieber is being a fucking weirdo, y'all. It's great. He'll post a couple dozen photos at once. He'll give fans a closeup of his chipped tooth. When pals don't pick up his FaceTime calls, he shames them very publicly.
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Instagram, more than any other social network, is about presenting a perfectly manicured life. Bieber, who's been doing that for the masses since he was 13, is finally breaking all the rules to genuinely use the platform as a form of self expression. He posts the sort of things normal young people do on private secondary accounts they only let their best friends see for 88 million followers.
Meanwhile, he continued collaborating across genres, often making surprising choices. This summer alone, he lends vocals to tracks by David Guetta, DJ Khaled, and Luis Fonsi.
That isn't to say he's perfect, or even good. In a particularly notable fuckup recently, he forgot the words to "Despacito" during a nightclub appearance. It happens, especially considering it's not a song he's had practice singing live. Instead of bowing out, he made up offensive replacements for the Spanish lyrics. Burrito? Really, dude? Apologize and do better. His mini-feud with the Weeknd, Gomez' current boyfriend, isn't a good look either. Let her go.
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Bieber's life isn't anything close to normal, and it wont' ever be. Having a sense of humor about it will get him a long way. And, potentially, some invaluable medical advice.
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