What exactly has Justin Bieber *done*?

Cafe Society
1

Okay, before I begin, let me make a few things perfectly clear.
I’m not asking why he’s so hated. I know what overhype backlash is. I’ve seen it a hundred times. No surprise whatsoever.
I’m not asking why he has a fan following. I was a teenager once. I knew lots of girls who went nuts over the hunk of the month. Nothing at all unusual.
I’m not asking why someone who’s at best a passable singer is getting such a huge push. The music industry does this all the freaking time for a variety of reasons, and any adult who can’t see this is more than a little pathetic.

My question is, what the heck is he doing with his huge push? Why does he have so little material? When is he going to do concert tours? Guest star on a sitcom? Celebrity game show appearance? Embarrassing YouTube video? Something?

I’ve listened to samples of his songs on Amazon (he has three albums out so far, one of which is remixes). Completely generic fluff. Not a single thing I haven’t heard from N’Sync, Take That, Michael Bolton, Richard Marx, or for that matter a young Michael Jackson.

Of course, the reason I had to go to Amazon, of course, was that not a single radio station in Hawaii plays any of his songs. Which is actually not much of a surprise, inasmuch as I haven’t been able to find any kind of fan following here whatsoever. In fact, the only places I’ve seen that were trying to sell him were a Suncoast Pictures outlet and maybe a couple music stores (which themselves have become a rarity these days).

So it shouldn’t be much of a surprise that not only can’t name even one of his songs off the top of my head (just to put in perspective, I can name two Miley Cyrus songs [Party in the USA, Hoedown Throwdown], and three Britney Spears songs [Oops I Did It Again, Toxic, Hit Me Baby One More Time]), I have absolutely no idea what he did at any point in history, ever.

Yes, yes, every once in a while, a generic pop acts gets huge. But it always happens for a reason, however stupid or embarrassing. Britney Spears played conservative America like a rusty harp and milked the virginity angle until it bled (to the point where she had two children and nobody even freaking noticed). Miley Cyrus had a hit Disney TV show. Mariah Carey developed high notes that could shatter tiles. The Spice Girls shrewdly developed a “girl power” following while pandering to just about every adolescent male fantasy imaginable. Hansen was an irresistibly cute novelty that appealed equally to fangirls and little old ladies. Madonna just plain worked harder at pandering than anyone before or since. All of these singers, incidentally, have been given airplay on Hawaii radio, so it’s not like we’re this backwater that never gets in on big trends.

Bieber…I see a pop star in the wings. Waiting to happen. Searching for the winning formula. Full of potential. Hopeful. Anxious. But I don’t see how he’s this overhyped music megastar now, and certainly not to the point that someone cites him on seemingly half the music videos on YouTube nowadays.

Anyone who’s actually seen/listened to the guy can help?

2

I’m not familiar enough with his music to say much more, but I know that at least one thing he did was make a movie. I don’t think it’s a “pop star trying to be an actor” movie, but a concert movie mixed with some of his life story.

3

He gave me a cool name to call some teenager part of a pack making ungodly amounts of racket today in the common building of my condo.

(Me to him, blocking my escape from front door obliviously), “Oh, excuse me there, Bieber.”

He thought it was funny, I guess. At least he didn’t say, “Fuck you, old man!” His friends chuckled. Great times!

4

He can bend metal with his mind.

5

He tried being an actor in CSI. Didn’t go so well.

6

What has he done? Man, get hip to the new age! This is the 21st century. You don’t have to actually do anything. Just ask Paris Hilton or Whatserface Kardashian. They’re sucking up your 15 minutes of fame and tagging it on to their own lives. Feh! Let 'em have it.

7

True story, Paris Hilton invented being a socialite. First one ever. She’s why the phrase “15 minutes of fame” was coined in 2005, by an MTV personality.

8

He has a “memoir”.

9

He’s done Selena Gomez.

10

I had to check the date on your post to make sure this wasn’t a zombie. He’s guest starred on CSI, and has been touring extensively since he first appeared. He’s got his albums, EPs, a remix album and an acoustic album. I’d say that’s actually heaps of material for a singer who’s only been around for two or three years.

I don’t understand why you think he’s not doing anything - he’s releasing singles, touring, doing videos, he even did a movie - what else is a popstar supposed to do exactly?

11

I wish this was an exaggeration.

12

He’s been active for 2 and a bit years, and checking his Wikipedia article, has, in that time, put out 2 albums, an EP*, a movie, 7 singles, done TV appearances and live performances… I think you’re expecting a bit much of the kid.

  • Not including the non-acoustic remix album and compilation disk, which he didn’t have to do new material for.
13

He’s been on SNL a couple of times and acquitted himself pretty well, almost as well as that other Justin (Timberlake). Chicks dig him, and he kind of replaced the Jonas Brothers in the culture. Prefabricated pop stars are as old as the music industry; just realize you aren’t part of the target demographic and get on with your mid-life crisis. Do you still hold a grudge against Bobby Sherman or Fabian?

14

He’s not appealing to your demographic. His songs are well known amongst his target audience. But that audience is little girls.

And that is his gimmick. Make songs to little girls, and be so perfect that their parents don’t mind. It’s similar to the Jonas Brothers’ schtick. But he took it a bit further by parodying himself, making him even more innocuous to the parents.

There’s also the fact that he was found on YouTube, so he feels like a star for the Internet 2.0 generation. That also probably gives him an edge over the Jonas Brothers. His audience feels like they discovered him.

15

The driving force of popular music is little girls and what they like passionately. If the Beatles had only sold records to their male and adult fans, I think they would have been dismissed by the general public before Rubber Soul came out. Ditto Elvis and Sinatra, early in their careers. Bieber is the current beneficiary of this.

For about its first three decades, Rolling Stone magazine had the consistent pose of “We’re blues-rock snobs.” In 1997, when they put the Spice Girls on the cover, they ran an editorial abandoning this long-held pose. They essentially said “If little girls buy it, we will put it on our cover and give it our most serious consideration. That’s Rock n Roll, whether you or we want it to be or not.” (Wish I could find the actual editorial online; I’m exaggerating the tone, but not by much.)

This is why Bieber is getting a critical free ride. If he gets monstrously huge, no music writer wants to be on record as having slagged him in the early days.

16

honest question- how much of this stuff has he actually, you know, written? I know I’m not anywhere near his target audience, but I can see why people (especially real musicians/composers) might dislike someone whose success hinges on teams of songwriters and PR people who have basically created his whole career for him.

17

He co-writes much of his own stuff and plays several instruments.

18

Appreciate your comments, as always, even the ones that don’t agree with me. Still, I’m getting just a tad bit worried that there’s always some misunderstanding no matter how elaborate I get. Still can’t believe Airman Doors thought I was a Seahawks fan. Anyhoo…

He’s done live performances? Really? Wow, that’s already a lot more than Paris Hilton (whose career path can best be described as “leisurely Anna Kournikova”). I personally don’t give a damn about some random TV spots (Sinead O’Connor was on TV a few times…didn’t help her career none), but actual concerts with actual fans, yes, that’s definitely something to build on.

So my assessment was pretty much on the mark. He’s a rising star, like REM in the 80’s, Bruce Springsteen during the E Street Band days, or, well, a young Michael Jackson. Big within his close circles, may or may not become a nationwide hit.

Nonetheless, one of the absolutely fundamental benchmarks for true musical stardom is radio play. The Backstreet Boys, N’Sync, and Take That had it. Heck, even those crazy kids Hanson had it. Until I start hearing him on Crater 96 or Hot I-94, he’s a minor leaguer no matter how many movies he’s done.

Actually, what I’d REALLY like to know (actually, the whole reason I made this thread in the first place) is why there are like a couple hundred Vocaloid videos on YouTube with comments ripping him. The only Vocaloid who sounds anything like him is Piko, and trust me, he ain’t that big.

19

And he’s still only 16. One thing that’s hard to criticise him for is lack of output.

That is a very odd assessment of someone who’s so famous that little girls across the world buy his music and even you knew of him enough to start a thread about him. He’s not a rising star - he’s already gone supernova.

20

I guess I don’t understand the OP. Just a cursory glance at his wikipedia page covers his activities. Songs, radio play, world tour, TV appearances, etc.