Justin Bieber performs "Daisies" at Coachella on 11/4 (California time). Video: Coachella

Justin Bieber's performance at the Coachella music festival recently captured significant attention. This year, Bieber was one of three headliners, alongside Sabrina Carpenter and Karol G, performing on the festival's largest stage, the Main Stage.

In contrast to the other two stars, Justin Bieber's segments lacked grand scenery or choreography. His minimal performance style led many to criticize him as "lazy" and less effortful than the female vocalists at the festival. Nevertheless, Justin Bieber's appearance at Coachella still created a sensation.

Over approximately 90 minutes, he performed 34 songs, ranging from his two albums, SWAG and SWAG II, to impromptu renditions of old tracks, and invited some past collaborators to join him. At one point, he scrolled through YouTube directly in front of the audience, taking song requests from fans. He performed several hits while watching his famous music videos like Baby (2010) and Never Say Never (2010). He also showed personal footage, including a video of him walking into a glass door and criticizing paparazzi.

Justin Bieber performs his hit "Baby" at Coachella on 11/4 (California time). Video: Coachella

His performances garnered millions of views after being reposted on social media. A video showing Bieber sitting under a fireworks display received over 150 million views on Coachella's Instagram. A clip of him singing his hit "Baby" accumulated nearly 35 million views when Rolling Stone shared it on the same platform.

According to Luminate data, Justin Bieber's music streams surged across digital platforms after Coachella. In the US, his streams reached 24,6 million on 12/4, marking an increase of over 211% compared to 5/4. The impact of the performance helped him maintain the top spot on Spotify's Global Artist Chart, with 21 songs entering the platform's top 200 trending tracks.

Justin Bieber chose simple attire for his music festival performance. Photo: Coachella

Forbes described Justin Bieber's stage presence as a "content creation strategy" rather than a conventional concert. The publication likened celebrity reactions to Bieber's segments to a "second performance," which helped shape public perception of the show.

Notable comments came from singer Lizzo. On Instagram on 12/4, she stated that she witnessed Justin Bieber's musical transcendence, believing he invited the audience into an artistic journey. British vocalist Labrinth also posted on Instagram to support Bieber, encouraging him to be authentic and disregard criticism.

Additionally, some artists reacted to Justin Bieber's performance with humor. On her personal page, singer Katy Perry posted a video showing Bieber typing into the YouTube search bar, then joked, "Thank God he has Premium. I don't want to watch ads." Many viewers reshared this content on X, garnering significant interest.

Katy Perry's reaction to Justin Bieber scrolling through YouTube. Video: Instagram Katy Perry

Many fans, on the other hand, expressed their appreciation for Justin Bieber's set, as it evoked memories of his early career. Beyond performing his famous songs, he displayed and sang along to many childhood videos. Vogue noted that one of the most emotional moments occurred when Bieber played a video of himself covering Chris Brown's "With You" at 13 years old, singing along with "young Justin" in his current deep voice.

Vanity Fair described Justin Bieber's duet with his childhood self as a blend of nostalgia and maturity, as if he—a father—was reliving a happy childhood, reminiscing about old memories. On X, some fans suggested Bieber was reflecting on his entire career, paying tribute to his youth. He achieved his current status by uploading singing videos to YouTube in the late 2000s, where his former manager Scooter Braun discovered him.

Justin Bieber sings "With You". Video: Coachella

Justin Bieber's next performance is scheduled for 18/4. After the initial show, international media offered varied opinions on the performance. The Guardian remarked that the "prince of pop's" vocals remained excellent, but the set "lacked energy." Variety described the performance as feeling like "personal time with Justin," characterizing the show as more about evoking emotion than ostentation.

Meanwhile, Mike Callander, a music lecturer at RMIT University Australia, wrote about whether Justin Bieber was "lazy" on The Conversation. According to him, Bieber likely rehearsed everything, including the on-stage typing, because one cannot leave such a large-scale concert to chance.

This is not the first time Justin Bieber has drawn attention for his performance style. At the Grammy Awards in march, he wore only shorts and socks when he took the stage to sing "Yukon."

Justin Bieber, 32 years old, is a renowned Canadian singer who debuted in 2009. He is currently one of the world's most famous vocalists, having received numerous accolades throughout his career, including 22 Guinness World Records, two Grammy Awards, and 18 AMA Awards. Time magazine honored Bieber as one of the "100 most influential people in the world" in 2011.

Coachella is one of North America's largest music festivals, held annually in april at the Empire Polo Ground in Indio, California. This year, the event runs from 10 to 19/4, taking place only over three weekends. Artists will perform on eight stages: Coachella Stage (Main Stage), Outdoor Theatre, Sonora, Gobi, Mojave, Sahara, Yuma, and Quasar.

Phuong Thao (according to Forbes, Billboard, Variety)