Justin Bieber is back in the news, but once again, not for his music. Today Justin went viral for having slightly longer surf-style locks that drift slightly forward as if guiding the way for the pop superstar.
He also has a new single coming out on Friday , but that wasn’t immediately apparent.
It’s a trend we’ve seen before in both Justin Bieber and celebrity in general, where their image takes precedent over their art.
Do you remember when Justin Bieber’s hit song ‘Baby’ came out? I don’t. But I definitely remember the iconic reimagined bowl cut that I’m sure sparked a thousand kids to look horrible.
I also remember a tight-sided top coif, a regrettable blond cornrow fiasco, and a thin mustached bleach phase. The ‘hit’ songs, however, slip my mind.
Justin changes his look the way a frightened chameleon might change its skin. Shifting your image has always been linked with the pop genre, from David Bowie’s iconic thunderbolt face paint to Michael Jackson’s bandleader get up. Justin Bieber has the looks, but they often bury the jams. He’s like Prince if Prince didn’t write music.
The fans of Justin’s music are indicative of a problem in modern pop. They are going ‘wild’ over his looks, but his upcoming single is nowhere to be seen.
It’s common practice to promote image over substance. I could point out Adam Levine’s tattoos in a police lineup, and I’ll have nightmares about Billie Eilish and her big pants for the rest of my life.
However, it seems in Justin’s case, the art has been totally drowned out.
Some musicians make it big because their art makes them feel something. Some musicians are just interesting to look at. With his latest look, Beiber has proved he is the later.
When you look at his body of work, it’s mostly just a body of hair. Sometimes it’s a tone-deaf misstep.
Maybe his next album he’ll embrace what he is, drop a beat, and let his follicles do the singing.