Bieber’s big Coachella payday

Justin Bieber’s first official Coachella headlining set on Saturday, April 11, doubled as a reported $10 million nostalgia play built around YouTube clips from his own career. (vanityfair.com) Vanity Fair reported Bieber was in line for a $10 million payday, which would make him Coachella’s highest-paid headliner since the festival began in 1999. Billboard and The Hollywood Reporter said the set started around 11:30 p.m. and leaned heavily on his recent *Swag* era before pivoting into older material. (vanityfair.com) (billboard.com) (hollywoodreporter.com) The staging was deliberately spare. The Hollywood Reporter described a halfpipe-like structure and few props, while NBC Los Angeles reported Bieber used a laptop and projected YouTube’s homepage and old videos, including “Baby” and his 2008 cover of Ne-Yo’s “With You.” (hollywoodreporter.com) (nbclosangeles.com) Capital FM published a 30-song weekend-one setlist that opened with “All I Can Take,” ran through newer songs including “Speed Demon,” “Go Baby” and “Walking Away,” then shifted into older hits including “Baby,” “Beauty and a Beat,” “Never Say Never,” “Sorry” and “Where Are Ü Now.” USA Today also reported a 30-song set on April 11 at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California. (capitalfm.com) (usatoday.com) The guest list underscored how Bieber framed the show as both comeback and catalog review. Capital FM and The Hollywood Reporter said The Kid Laroi joined for “Stay,” while Tems, Wizkid, Dijon and Mk.gee also appeared during the set. (capitalfm.com) (hollywoodreporter.com) The performance landed after a long stretch away from full-scale touring. Billboard said Bieber played two smaller West Hollywood shows at the Roxy on March 29 and the Troubadour on April 4, and described Coachella as his first time back onstage in four years. (billboard.com) The Hollywood Reporter said that gap included canceled tour dates tied to health issues, the sale of Bieber’s publishing catalog, the birth of his child and a split from longtime manager Scooter Braun. NBC Los Angeles tied the Coachella concept directly to Bieber’s origin story, noting Braun first found him through amateur YouTube videos. (hollywoodreporter.com) (nbclosangeles.com) Reaction split quickly. NBC Los Angeles cited fans praising the show as one for “OG beliebers,” while also reporting backlash over the stripped-down format and the reported $10 million fee, and Forbes described the set as dividing fans over whether the laptop-and-archive concept fit a headlining slot. (nbclosangeles.com) (forbes.com) Bieber told the crowd, “This is a night I dreamed about for a long time,” according to The Hollywood Reporter. For one Saturday night in Indio, he turned Coachella’s biggest stage into a live scroll through the videos that made him famous. (hollywoodreporter.com)