“I think, therefore I am.‰” ‰ÛÒ Descartes
“Swaggy.‰” ‰ÛÒ Justin Bieber

Justin Bieber is the ultimate example of a modern pop star. Having ascended to superstardom through a combination of viral videos, Internet buzz, celebrity endorsements, strategic marketing, hilarious memes, luscious hair and ‰ÛÒ yes, really ‰ÛÒ some legitimate talent, the eighteen year-old megastar has become one of the most divisive figures in entertainment, inspiring paradoxical amounts of breathless coverage from music critics and gossip blogs while simultaneously arousing considerable criticism for the manufactured, almost calculating experience of hearing his music or watching him perform. After three studio albums and countless supplementary releases (albums devoted to holiday music, remixes and even rap duets; a highly popular concert documentary; several books), an assessment of Bieber‰’s appeal and limitations ought to be based on the available evidence rather than on the polarized opinions that Bieber has inspired. “He‰’s worse than Rebecca Black!‰” “Will you marry me?‰Û

In the early going, Bieber‰’s appeal rested on the “rags-to-riches‰” nature of his ascendance. After playing for years on street corners and posting Justin Timberlake covers on YouTube, record executive Scooter Braun had a chance encounter with Bieber and ended up signing him to a record deal that also included a partnership with Usher, whose critical credibility likely translated some of the goodwill to the budding superstar.

The songs on Bieber‰’s first album “My World‰” are characterized by generic high school clichÌ©s and a distinct lack of personality. Oddly, although the “fangirl‰” pandemonium surrounding Bieber‰’s alleged gorgeousness and dreaminess had begun in earnest, the popularity of this early music reflected its colorlessness. Beyond the initial novelty of first single “One Time,‰” a reasonably memorable microcosm of the rest of the album, few of the remaining songs broke out in any measurable way.

And then came “Baby.‰” Justin Bieber‰’s best-known song to date, if not his most statistically popular, is not high art. It is, however, a very well-executed teen pop anthem. Substance? Minimal, although Ludacris‰’ guest rap is jaunty and surprisingly not egregious despite the age difference, which had the potential to inspire cognitive dissonance. Perhaps my most compelling justification for liking this song is that I heard it for the first time on a YouTube video featuring Bieber singing an acoustic version before the recording‰’s official release. While Bieber‰’s live singing record is unfortunately spotty, this particular instance stripped away the artifice and explained this song‰’s cultural supremacy to a certain extent.

(The Ludacris rap, by the way, is evidence of a larger phenomenon: music stars love Justin Bieber. Beyond Usher, Bieber has recorded songs with Sean Kingston, Nicki Minaj, Chris Brown, Miley Cyrus, Kanye West, Drake, Big Sean, Carly Rae Jepsen, Rascal Flatts and Raekwon. How odd that adult superstars have attempted to maintain their cultural relevance by coasting on the popularity of a teen star rather than the other way around.)

Bieber‰’s most recent album “Believe‰” revealed another identity shift, arguably an identity crisis. Having abandoned the generic teen-lite anthems about asking girls to dance, Bieber seems to have engineered each of his songs to remind listeners of better music. “Boyfriend‰” recalls the irresistible swagger of Justin Timberlake‰’s “SexyBack‰” without achieving a fraction of that song‰’s legitimacy and bravado. “All Around the World‰” is basically a David Guetta song without the actual presence of David Guetta. One of the album‰’s bonus tracks, “Maria,‰” adopts not only the beat and delivery of Michael Jackson‰’s classic “Billie Jean‰” but the lyrical content as well. Whatever appeal these songs might have in a vacuum, they are too derivative to feel like anything other than a singer who aspires to be an artist but doesn‰’t really possess musical originality.

Justin Bieber‰’s “Billie Jean,‰” in content if not in quality:

So why do his fans adore him so? Perhaps on a subconscious level, people appreciate a teenager who does not understand that trying to “be cool‰” does not make a person “cool.‰” Maybe tween girls are simply too young to realize that Bieber is not an artist but a musical copy machine. The sheer catchiness might just be irresistible. And the luscious hair certainly doesn‰’t hurt.

But even when Bieber comes off as an ignorant, spoiled hip-hop wannabe, I root for him to transcend the difficulties of being a tween idol and develop a persona that‰’s not just “Artist X Meets Artist Y.‰” Even if I know that he has no financial reason to alter his strategy, it would be nice to think that Bieber will seize the opportunity afforded by his rarefied position in the culture. He‰’s fallen off a cliff, but he can be caught yet!
You can do it, Bieber. All you have to do is “believe.‰Û

“As Long As You Love Me,‰” in which Michael Madsen acts out the fantasy of many a Bieber hater:

By Mark Lieberman