Bieber’s Coachella Comeback
Justin Bieber returned to headline Coachella on Saturday in what many called a comeback set that divided viewers — some praised the stripped-back approach while others were skeptical. (indy100.com) Reviews and reaction threads noted huge online attention and fellow artists like Katy Perry and Zara Larsson publicly reacted to the performance. (billboard.com) The Los Angeles Times included Bieber among the festival’s defining moments from Weekend 1. (latimes.com)
Justin Bieber headlined Coachella on Saturday, April 11, his first time topping the festival and his biggest live show in years. (billboard.com) The set at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, leaned stripped-back instead of spectacle-heavy, with Bieber performing largely alone on the main stage and revisiting early YouTube clips on a laptop. (hollywoodreporter.com) He also brought out guests including the Kid Laroi, Dijon, Wizkid and Mk.gee, while reviews described the show as a mix of new material, older hits and quieter acoustic stretches. (rollingstone.com) The performance landed after a long break from major touring. Billboard reported that Bieber had played two small West Hollywood shows at the Roxy and the Troubadour before Coachella, his first live performances in four years. (billboard.com) That gap is part of why the set drew so much attention online. The Orange County Register reported that fans had already dubbed the festival “Bieberchella” before he took the stage. (ocregister.com) Reaction split quickly after the show. Rolling Stone called the performance a “mixed bag,” while indy100 said viewers were divided between people who praised the low-key approach and people who saw it as underpowered. (rollingstone.com, (indy100.com)) Other artists joined the pile-on and the praise. Billboard reported that Katy Perry joked on Instagram about Bieber having YouTube Premium, while Zara Larsson posted a baffled reaction and Lizzo said he “gave us his all.” (billboard.com) The Los Angeles Times listed Bieber and his laptop among the defining moments of Coachella’s 25th-anniversary first weekend, alongside the larger-scale headlining sets around him. (latimes.com) Weekend 2 now becomes the test of whether the same set plays differently once the shock is gone. For Weekend 1, Bieber got what a comeback needs most: the festival’s biggest spotlight and the internet’s full attention. (latimes.com), (billboard.com)
