Justin Bieber takes a hit after Coachella

Justin Bieber left mixed impressions on his fans during his big comeback. Getty

By choosing recent titles instead of his hits, Justin Bieber sparked a wave of criticism after his grand return to the stage as the headliner at Coachella.

He’s back. And is it a flop? After several years off, Justin Bieber is returning, and not just any way: he headlined Coachella on Saturday.

But his performance, eagerly anticipated by fans and scrutinized by commentators, has sparked a wave of reactions, to say the least… contrasting, reports 20 minutes.

Indeed, the Canadian singer defied expectations. Instead of playing his greatest hits, he focused on recent and lesser-known songs, confusing part of the audience.

On stage at 11:25 pm (8:25 am in Switzerland), on time despite rumors of delays, he appeared in a very casual outfit – shorts, hoodie, and sunglasses.

Social media is abuzz

Quickly, criticisms poured in on social media. Many spectators regretted a setlist dominated by recent songs like All I Can Take, Speed Demon, or Walking Away, while iconic hits like Baby or Beauty and a Beat were only briefly mentioned.

If a few hits like Stay or Sorry were well interpreted, it wasn’t enough to convince a portion of the audience, who also pointed out a visually weak show.

Some comments were particularly severe, denouncing a performance unworthy of a headliner and calling it “an insult” to fans who paid a lot. Some even called it the “worst Coachella performance.”

Despite these criticisms, the concert also had more moving moments that were widely appreciated. Justin Bieber dedicated several songs to his wife Hailey, like Go Baby, and directly addressed the audience, even asking for song suggestions via the livestream – an unusual initiative for an event of this magnitude.

He also revisited his journey by broadcasting old videos of his beginnings on YouTube.

In the end, opinions remain divided. Some praise a sincere and daring performance, seeing it as a deliberate artistic step, while others would like a ticket refund. It now remains to be seen if this appearance marks a true musical comeback for the artist.

(dag)