You could be forgiven for having lost touch with Justin Bieber. The defining teen idol of the 2000s was discovered on YouTube, anointed by R&B stars Usher and Drake and enormously famous by his 16th birthday. But Biebs’ monumental fame as a floppy-haired, baby-faced singer presaged a difficult coming of age in the spotlight and a string of very 2010s controversies. (Who could forget Mally, the pet monkey seized by German customs in Munich in 2013?)
In recent years, Bieber has pivoted to more mature R&B, kept a lower profile and focused on his health and family. But his headlining sets at Coachella this month – collectively dubbed “Bieberchella” – have sparked a renewed appreciation for Bieber’s music and his turbulent path to becoming a respected pop elder.
