Pollock 6
Darrin J. Pollock
Mr. Pollock
AP English Language and Composition
17 October 2011
Now I’m a Belieber
I’m going to make you a Belieber. But before you can be converted, you are going to have to work through that initial nausea that may overwhelm your digestive system as the name Justin Bieber and all things Bieber invade your world. First, you’re going to have to overlook the hair—that annoying shag with the swish right above the eye that awakens a desire to find scissors and volunteer to become Bieber’s barber—besides, the swishing shag is gone—finally. Next, you’re going to have to cut him a break for his initially androgynous voice and “bubblegum pop” sound of his breakthrough work: when Scooter Braun discovered Justin Bieber in 2008, Justin was only fifteen, and let’s be honest, there are few “serious” musical subjects about which a fifteen year old can sing and be taken “seriously” (Konjicanin). Finally, you’re going to have to see through the atmosphere of Bieberism—an almost religious fervor for anything associated with Justin—that billows around the Biebs like the stage fog at one of his sold-out concerts: the swooning, weeping, screaming tweens; the Justin Bieber dolls (or are they action figures?); the lunchboxes, backpacks, folders, and notebooks that notify all that a true Bieberist is in their midst. Once you have worked through these initial affronts to your sensibilities, only then can you begin to understand that because of his unprecedented success, astonishing marketability, and limitless potential, Justin Bieber may very well be one of the greatest musical artists of our generation.
Even the harshest critics of Justin Bieber will agree that he is a success; however, some may argue the meaning or depth of his “success.” The facts are indisputable. The first of Bieber’s achievements is his bragging right of being the first solo artist to have seven songs from a debut album on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart (CBSNews). Another indicator of his success is that his album My World 2.0 reached double platinum status in March 2010 (RIAA). Finally, Bieber’s crowning achievement thus far has been his American Music Awards 2010 Artist of the Year award. Add to these indisputable facts the raw reality that Bieber has been on the music scene less than five years yet has been able to achieve what others who have been in the music scene for decades never could, and you may have to admit that Justin has been a busy Bieber.
“So what do these facts prove?” a non-Belieber might demand. Justin Bieber has an audience that not only listens to him but listens closely enough to throw money at virtually all of his artistic (and in some cases, merchandising) pursuits. Also, Bieber has been recognized for his authentic musical talent, which with the current musical culture’s addiction to autotune, inability to produce artists whose live pales in comparison to their studio sound, and failure to sign musical artists who are truly remarkable musicians, is refreshing.
Some may accuse Bieber’s sound of being too saccharine with its “bubblegum pop” flavor; however, such critics might also remind themselves that Bieber’s musical talent was good enough to pique the interests of Usher and Justin Timberlake (both of whom engaged in a race to sign him), his music has appealed to many audiences and won their favor, and he and his music have been recognized and awarded for its merit by music consumers, producers, and colleagues (Konjicanin). Besides, let’s not forget that Justin is a young teenager. Is the subject matter and sound of his music not age-appropriate for a seventeen year-old? The price a musical artist must pay for age-inappropriate songs can be costly, such as a loss of revenue from music sales, image, and marketability—just ask Miley Cyrus.
Because of his success, non-Beliebers might suggest that Bieber is merely a marketing puppet, whose strings move only by the tug and pull of marketing companies and consumers: in short, Bieber is simply a product, a brand. Without a doubt, Bieber’s powerful marketability cannot be denied. These days, anything connected to the Biebs flies off the shelves at record speed. Is this merchandising phenomenon because Bieber is simply the teen hearthrob flavor of the month or because his music has actually found a niche? Most non-Beliebers will argue that Bieber is simply a fad, that given enough time, will fade, and companies have grabbed hold of his swished locks with their full might to ride on his wave of popularity. When Bieber sings, “Baby, baby, baby,” marketing companies hear only the sound of the cash register and consumers swiping their cards; furthermore, non-Beliebers’ cite that Bieber’s primary audience is tween females, which is why he engages in such strange marketing endeavors, such as fingernail polish and women’s perfume.
To answer such arguments about Bieber’s marketability, one must first answer why he is marketable. Justin Bieber is marketable for two reasons: his music and his image. Bieber’s music has a real audience with real spending power. Only because of his musical accomplishments is Bieber able to market other products. And his image doesn’t hurt. Justin is about as clean-cut, boy-next-door, and American Pie as one can be; in fact, he is the American Dream (despite his being Canadian)—to come from a single-parent household to achieve such overnight success is what Americans still adore. To market such an idea ad nauseum is also quite American.
Is Justin Bieber a marketing puppet? No, he is simply making a profit while his window of opportunity is open and free for the taking. Could Justin Bieber be the puppetmaster that strings together marketing companies and compels them to dance to the catchy tune of “One World”? Most definitely.
Still, non-Beliebers may still grip tightly to their opinion that Justin Bieber cannot compare to other musical artists of our generation: Michael Jackson, Paul McCartney, Bono. Such artists’ body of work has withstood the test of time and has bridged gaps of audiences, unlike Bieber’s audience, which is a “mile wide but an inch thick” and primarily female tweens. What these critics fail to acknowledge is Bieber’s potential. Bieber cannot be adequately compared to such legends because of his youth and premature body of work: Bieber is just getting started. Musical legends have a body of work developed over decades, not in just a few years, like Justin Bieber; however, unlike Bieber, many musical legends have not enjoyed such immediate recognition for their work. What took many of these legends several decades to accomplish, Bieber has accomplished in a few short years; therefore, his potential to accomplish more as he and his music mature is practically limitless.
How will Bieber avoid becoming that shooting star that quickly burns out, like the long list of such young burn-outs and “one-notes” that blazed forth but then quickly dimmed in the past decade: Brittney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Hillary Duff, any generic boy band that you wish to mention, and the next to bite the dust—Miley Cyrus? Bieber can’t depend on his fan base of tween girls, can he? Perhaps. Bieber’s long-term survival will depend on three facets: his image, his fan base, and his music. First, if Bieber’s clean-cut image, which can appeal to a wide audience, remains positive as he matures, he stands a good chance of maintaining the favor of the masses; however, if teen angst and teen stardom take hold, he may just go the way of the Lohan. (And God help us if he should have a breakdown and shave his head a la Brittney Spears.) Second, non-Beliebers are mistaken to cite Bieber’s fan base as “narrow.” Parents, who play a role in the strong purchasing power of such a fan base, are consenting to such purchases because of Bieber’s positive image and musicianship. In effect, they are closely connected to the fan base if not a part of this fan base, too. Also, young faithful Bieber fans are going to grow up eventually. Their musical tastes will change from the innocuous “bubblegum pop” of today’s Bieber, and Bieber will be there to whet their appetites with his new and improved sound. As long as Bieber continues to create quality music and products, fans will continue to buy. And although he is just getting started in this industry, Bieber has the musical talent and potential to captivate audiences for a lifetime.
Although “greatness” is always a matter of opinion and perspective, there are indicators along the way that can point one in the direction of “greatness,” and Justin Bieber’s career has already been marked by some of those indicators. And if you are still doubting Bieber’s greatness, the Biebs is reaching another milestone by offering the masses the obligatory pop Christmas album Under the Mistletoe, which will soon hit the airwaves and stores in the coming weeks. My prediction: this album will be successful. Why? Because Justin Bieber has musical talent and producers that believe in that talent, he can sell anything, and his musicianship is getting better as he ages. Adamant non-Beliebers might continue to doubt his abilities and potential and contribute his success to beginner’s luck or marketing company vampires that supposedly will feed on his profits until his youth dries up, thus creating a relentless marketing monster; however, you might find that despite hating the Biebs’s songs, these same non-Beliebers know all the words to them. And this holiday season, perhaps through some Christmas miracle some non-Beliebers might even throw Bieber a bone, recognize his talent, buy his new album, and sing along with him to the tune of their old (and perhaps new, thanks to the Biebs) holiday favorites.
Works Cited
CBSNews. "Justin Bieber Fever Hits Miami." The Early Show. CBS Interactive Inc., 5 Feb. 2010. Web. 16 Oct. 2011.
Konjicanin, Anja. "Justin Bieber Makes Them Proud. But Why?" Vancouver Observer. Observer Media Group, 24 Dec. 2010. Web. 16 Oct. 2011.
MacManus, Richard. "Top 10 YouTube Videos of All Time." ReadWriteWeb. ReadWriteWeb, 3 Oct. 2011. Web. 16 Oct. 2011.
RIAA. "RIAA's Gold and Platinum Program: Seachable Database." Chart. Searchable Database. RIAA, 2011. Web. 16 Oct. 2011.