Justin Bieber, New Year livestream, review: the pop prince returns – but ignores his fans
Last year was the year of the livestream, with artists of every stripe and genre playing gigs to an audience stuck indoors. From bedroom sessions broadcast on social media to impressive full-production concerts recorded in deserted venues, they all, at the very least, offered a glimmer of comfort when it was needed most. And after a difficult Christmas and a New Year’s Eve with most of England under Tier 4 restrictions, that need for connection has never been stronger.
So it seems bizarre that Justin Bieber apparently forgot that anyone was at home watching his special New Year’s Eve livestream from Los Angeles. At no point during the 75-minute set did the 26-year-old address his virtual audience, instead focusing all his attention on the handful of people (which included Billie Eilish holding an “I heart JB” sign) watching “IRL” from the balconies of the nearby Beverly Hilton hotel.
It made the whole experience more detached than it needed to be, which was a shame because, apart from our being ignored by the host, Bieber’s party was a brilliant way to see in the New Year.
Taking full advantage of the impressive outdoor stage, the concert was peppered with fireworks, bursts of pyro and a lightshow that became more extravagant with every track. Before last night, Bieber hadn’t played a full show for over 40 months, but you wouldn’t have known it as he threw himself into complex, joyful dance routines while delivering a greatest-hits set with excitable energy and impeccable vocals.
The sugary bops of Baby and Boyfriend were given an RnB-inspired reworking so they made sense alongside the slinking tracks from the recently-released Changes, while a stripped-down acoustic rendition of Love Yourself felt empowering despite its delicate beauty.
Constantly on the move, the chart-smashing EDM of Where Are U Now and the tropical house of What Do You Mean? saw Bieber pick the pace back up before an urgent run through of his latest singles. Holy, a driving angelic track, was dedicated to Bieber’s wife Hailey (“You are the absolute love of my whole existence”) while brand new song Anyone was given its live debut.
A twinkling stadium anthem, it’s got more in common with Coldplay than Drake, and may be the perfect soundtrack to a summer of love, but its gooey romance wasn’t the best way to close a New Year’s Eve show, especially with social-distancing making it harder to get that kiss at midnight.
The closest Bieber got to addressing the world outside his heart came with an aching, raw performance of the piano-driven Lonely. “This song is super personal to my life but really resonates with this time,” he explained before adding, “I know a lot of people are feeling lonely right now.”
Bieber’s comeback concert saw the pop prince caught somewhere between a slick arena show and something more intimate, but without the best of either worlds. Despite the flashes of brilliance, the lack of interaction felt needlessly cold, and that distance made the whole event feel more like a rehearsal than the biggest party of the year.
