I, like many, grew up with Justin Bieber. My mom swears I had a deep case of the “Bieber fever” when I was younger. Personally, I think she hasn’t seen how much other fans love Bieber. I would argue there are others who have undergone true, stronger Bieber fevers, still I also recognize I forced my family to watch every Bieber documentary, constantly rewatch his music videos and have “Baby” on my favorite songs on Spotify. I will never go a month without listening to Bieber. And now more than ever, he’s back to my favorite artists, as his Coachella performance in April reignited the Belieber in me.
This year, many people like myself decided to rename Coachella ‘Bieberchella’ to celebrate Bieber headlining both Saturdays of the festival. Some online users similarly shared their excitement for Sabchella, with Sabrina Carpenter headlining Fridays, and Bichotachella, with Karol G closing out Sundays. Given his four year hiatus, I held great expectations for Bieber’s comeback performance on one of the country’s largest stages.
Bieber opened both of his headliner performances with “All I Can Take” from his most recent album “Swag.” His performance sparked mixed reviews, with some online criticizing his set in light of the amount he was paid and comparing it to other headliners’ shows. During both weekends, Bieber’s set included him playing memes like the double rainbow video and his personal viral phrase “it’s not clocking to you” from an interaction with paparazzi.
Watching him, it felt like his bare performance was necessary for his own healing, as he commented on how performing older songs brought back many memories, showed videos from before he was famous, and shared more about his journey as an artist for over 15 years.
During his second weekend set, he said, “the beautiful thing about this journey is that you know we all kind of grew up together, you know. It’s been a wild rollercoaster ride, and we have had some ups and some downs.”
He proceeded to say how he’s faced many challenges because his life has been on display for the public since a very young age. Then, he played a throwback song he said was for those who have known him since the start of his career. He sang “One Time,” which was part of “My World” — the extended play (EP) he debuted at just 15 years old.
Bieber was amazing to watch because I, like many fans, have loved him from a very young age, and Coachella provided a rare opportunity to hear him sing many songs we grew up with. The nostalgic feeling was uniquely thrilling. However, production-wise, his closing shows were much less dynamic compared to Carpenter’s and Karol G’s.
While my “Bieber fever” days are behind me, I still had high expectations for Bieber’s set or Bieberchella. After all, he is one of the highest-paid headliners, having asked for $10 million. Before him, Tyler the Creator, who performed in 2024, was reported to have been the highest-paid performer. In his song “That Guy,” Tyler the Creator says Coachella paid him “eight figures.” In comparison, Beyoncé, who headlined in 2018, reportedly earned $8 million.
Ultimately, Bieber went with a minimalist stage performance. There were no backup dancers or elaborate outfits; it was simply Bieber, alone on the stage, in a casual, baggy outfit with a microphone and laptop.
Like many, after watching all the headliners, I couldn’t help but compare the vastly different styles between Bieber and the female closers. Karol G and Carpenter outdid themselves. They sang while executing complex, entertaining choreographies. For Carpenter’s performances, the audience could enjoy “Sabrinawood” with her set inspired by old Hollywood glamour. Similarly, Karol G’s performances exemplified Latino culture with her tropical costumes, mariachi and inclusion of other major Latino artists such as Peso Pluma and Becky G.
That said, I don’t think I will ever be able to move on from Billie Eilish joining Bieber on stage for “One Less Lonely Girl.” This surprise alone made me love Bieberchella. Fans could see how Hailey Bieber encouraged an emotional Eilish to join him on stage. Every girl who has ever experienced “Bieber fever” probably shares Eilish’s same dream of being chosen as the girl Bieber pulled on stage for this song.
Following Coachella, Eilish shared her love of Bieber online. She posted pictures of her childhood room covered with Bieber posters, an old paragraph wishing him happy birthday in 2014, a white board with Bieber details like his birthday and other pictures from her fangirl era. I’m glad a true Bieleber joined him on the Coachella stage, since that’s who I think he centered his Coachella performance on.
In the end, was I blown away by Bieber’s Coachella performance? No. However, do I still watch every Bieberchella TikTok that pops up on my For You Page and continue to talk about his performance? Absolutely. I don’t think Bieber disappointed fans. Anyone who was obsessed with him in his “Baby,” bowl-cut era can’t ever really feel let down by him. That’s the beauty of being a Belieber, you never really have to move on from loving Bieber.
With 27 Top 10 hits on Billboard’s Top 100, there are a variety of songs for fans to enjoy from his early pop ages to his “Swag” era. When it comes to pop men, Bieber must sit among our generation’s greatest singers alongside artists like Ed Sheeran and Bruno Mars. Now, all Beliebers can do is hope Coachella has inspired Bieber to resume his performing days and announce a tour soon.
