With 46 million Twitter followers, Justin Bieber’s success is undeniable. But in the past few months, Bieber has entered what many have called his requisite “troubled child star” phase. Temper tantrums and lewd behavior on his Believe Tour have given fans and critics everywhere mixed feelings, and sometimes even concern about the “Baby” singer.
In a recent move, Bieber has tried to bring the focus back to his music, launching his new project #MusicMondays. Every monday, Bieber has been releasing a song on iTunes in anticipation of his second concert film “Believe 3D.” So far, he’s released five tracks, four of which have topped the iTunes charts.
But no matter how successful his Music Mondays may be, that still can’t stop Bieber from hitting the headlines for all the wrong reasons. Last week, an upset Bieber took his emotions to Twitter, slamming his record label and whining, “wish Def Jam would have worked harder on my project, labels are shady.”
His complaint-laden Twitter feed isn’t all that has fed his detractors — this year has been filled with incidents. Between the multiple photographed weed instances, his fight with a paparazzo, showing up late to his own concerts and excessive speeding, he has been dubbed “good boy gone bad” by the press.
Bieber was also recently under fire for another more “mature” move, after getting caught last week leaving a brothel called Centaurus in Brazil. According to the New York Post, he spent three hours there and left covered by a bed sheet, followed by two girls who left in a separate vehicle. Additional claims from a Centaurus prostitute have emerged that Bieber paid her $500 to sleep with him and that it was “super delicious.” And although he left Brazil, Bieber has been charged with vandalism for spray painting a wall in Rio de Janeiro and will have to pay a large fine.
The meltdowns and drama never cease and are detrimental to his star persona. However, it seems as though his desperate desire for maturity may be fueling his musical creativity. Recent release “Hold Tight” showed a more sexual side, as Bieber sang on the R&B track, “Don’t let this go to your head/But you’re the best I’ve ever had/Not to mention/That thing is swollen.” It’s a far cry from the light “Baby” or even the innocuous seduction of “Boyfriend” — his new lyrics are far more suggestive than lines like “chillin’ by the fire … eating fondue.”
Bieber’s escapades will continue to be documented by the tabloids — but while no one’s looking, his music is changing accordingly and for the better.
Aicha Fall is a staff writer. Email her at [email protected].
