Following his emotional moment at the VMAs, there’s been a lot of vehement talk about whether Justin Bieber’s recent tour has been a turning point in his career, marking his birth as a “legitimate artist,” or some par for the course, massively funded publicity campaign. In a piece out this week, Noisey made a thorough entry in the greater argument for Bieber’s transformation:
In the two years that have passed since Bieber took to the stage at the Billboard Music Awards, asking to “be taken seriously as an artist,” he’s armed himself with the music to back that claim up. Speaking to Jimmy Kimmel, Bieber said, “I’ve worked so hard at this album. I’ve worked so hard at becoming the man I want to become.”
So it’s no wonder he broke down at the VMAs. Making it through a dark, depressing, challenging time and out the other side is cathartic. But to make it through with such bold defiance is majestic.
