Justin Bieber has been in the spotlight since November 2009 when he released his EP with the notorious hits “Baby,” and “One Time.”
In the last 11 years, his prominence has ebbed and flowed, but he has remained a quintessential figure in international pop music.
He’s had a few dark moments here and there (including a DUI arrest in 2014), an infamous on-again, off-again relationship with Disney actress and pop princess Selena Gomez, a dozen or so hit collaborations (I’m looking at you, “Despacito”) and six successful studio albums of his own.
Bieber was first discovered by record executive Scooter Braun in 2008 after he posted song covers on YouTube. He immediately became a teenage heartthrob, capturing the hearts of young girls across the globe.
His latest album, “Justice,” dropped in March 2021 and skyrocketed to popularity. His song “Peaches” debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and was predicted to be one of the songs of the summer by TIME Magazine. As of the week of July 24, 2021, it’s sitting at a comfortable number 11 slot on that same list.
Bieber has seemingly done it all. He’s amassed 185 million Instagram followers, is happily married to model Hailey Baldwin (to many Jelena fans’ dismay), and is reportedly working on more music this summer. His latest feat? Being the newest face of luxury designer brand Balenciaga for their Fall 2021 collection.
The singer’s collaboration with the brand was announced on July 23 when the official Balenciaga account tweeted a video featuring Bieber with the unembellished caption, “Justin for Balenciaga.” The 15-second promotional clip pans across the singer’s outfit, which includes an oversized leather bomber, gray sweatpants, white high socks, a pair of chunky sneakers and a black version of the brand’s infamous City bag– and ends with him striking a power pose. Bieber looks sharp, stylish, and understated, a far cry from his last major partnership with Calvin Klein underwear in 2015. The Balenciaga campaign, shot by artist and photographer Katy Grannan, also features French actress Isabelle Huppert.
The Bieber x Balenciaga collaboration took some by surprise, while others saw a move like this coming. GQ called it “A new step in the singer’s road to redemption, a sign of acceptance into the high-brow graces of the fashion world’s cool kids.” Vogue featured the campaign image as one of its “Photos of the Week.” Justin’s fans, also known as Beliebers went crazy over the news. As Bieber continues to mature as both a singer and a human being, this campaign is most definitely a step in the right direction.
Brett Chody Trends contributor Polo lifestyles 2021