If crafting a proper apology is an art, then call Justin Bieber Picasso. After nearly 10 years in showbiz, Bieber has had some ups and downs. Biebs also knows that he's not on the best of terms with fans as of late. He's stormed off stages, told crowds to shut up, and even made his fans question continuing their fandom.
And now, he repents. On October 30, the 22-year-old gave a heartfelt explanation for his recent tirades during the European leg of his Purpose Tour. Addressing the large audience full of doting fans, Bieber compared himself to a robot, and got emotional when talking about his struggles with being authentic.
"There's going to be times where I say the wrong thing, because I'm human," he said to a surprisingly calm crowd. "But I don't pretend to be perfect and I hope to God that, you know, I don't say the right thing all the time because if that was the case then I'd be a robot, and I'm not a robot. There's times when I get upset … times when I get angry, there's times when I'm going to be frustrated. But I'm always going to be myself on this stage."
He ended with "All I was simply doing was wanting people to listen; to kind of hear me out a little bit. Certain people … certain cities aren't going to want to hear me out, and you know, sometimes it's my job to just say, 'hey, I'm not going to try to force anything.' I just appreciate you guys tonight, listening to me and understanding, and rocking with me. You guys are truly amazing."
*Initiate slow clap here.*
Maybe I'm just a sucker for the Biebs, but this is a pretty big move from the usually immature performer. He's been criticized for giving half-assed performances, but this response to fan outrage seems very thoughtful. It's grueling to tour (he's been on the road for almost a year), and arguably torturous to be famous at times, but his career is based on his relationship with his Beliebers. Bieber also shared a transcript of his explanation in the form of an open letter in a now-deleted tweet which can be found on US Weekly.
The only thing about delivering a memorable apology is that he can't act out again. At this point in his career, he needs to realize that there is a time to correct selfish and childish behavior, as he's learned. But he's already been given many chances (remember his Comedy Central Roast which basically let him reinvent himself?) so he needs to be careful.
Just like Picasso can't replicate a masterpiece, Bieber cannot replicate a sincere apology. It's not too late to say sorry, but soon it will be.