Waiting at my airport gate for my flight to sunny Indio, I was buzzing with excitement as I watched videos of weekend one of the Coachella music festival. I couldn’t help but notice that in every clip I saw of Justin Bieber, he looked happier than ever, like he had gotten his spark back. But surely weekend two couldn’t be as amazing, right?
Wrong.
Standing in that crowd, watching Justin perform his SWAG tracks so intimately and his nostalgic pop hits so fondly, I was choked up. I could feel it throughout the crowd, too. Everyone was swept up in it. Weekend one was a warmup for Bieber; weekend two was him at his best — connecting with the crowd.
That’s when I knew: Bieber Fever was back.
With it being the middle of October, many are wondering why the Super Bowl LX halftime performer has not yet been announced by Jay-Z’s Roc Nation and Apple Music. Some are speculating it could be one of a few pop sensations, such as Miley Cyrus, Harry Styles, and my personal pick, Justin Bieber. I would argue that by Jay-Z’s standards, Justin Bieber is having a “monster year,” much like Kendrick Lamar was in 2024, making him the perfect candidate for the Super Bowl LX halftime show.
Justin Bieber’s back-to-back weekend Coachella performances, dubbed “Bieberchella,” quickly became the festival’s most talked-about moment. From “DAISIES” to “Beauty And A Beat,” Bieber had multiple tracks re-enter the Billboard Hot 100. According to Rolling Stone, Bieber saw a 42% increase in monthly listeners just 24 days after Coachella.
So, what made Bieberchella one of the most viral moments of the year?
Sure, there’s the nostalgia factor. The audience got a glimpse of the JB they grew up with through his old hits. But the throwback segment of Bieber’s sets lasted roughly 20 minutes each weekend. While this trip down memory lane amassed millions of views online, people liked Bieber’s set for more than just the throwbacks. They connected with the authentic artist he is today.
Many criticized his laid back approach to Coachella, with his YouTube throwbacks and intimate performances of SWAG tracks. Then came his World Cup halftime performance, in which Bieber slowed down the show by performing “Everything Hallelujah” acoustically. One man, his voice, and a guitar: It was about as far from a traditional stadium spectacle as you could get. So, for some viewers, it felt like the biggest “vibe killer.”
But contrary to the general public opinion, I think this performance showed why Bieber is more than ready the Super Bowl halftime show.
Performing a song about gratitude and faith in a stripped-down style on a global stage was not lazy. It was intentional. Of course, “Everything Hallelujah” has a Christian connotation to it, but its universal message speaks to appreciating the small things in life. JB isn’t just chasing pop stardom anymore; he has something to say about who he is and what he values.
And that’s exactly what we’ve seen from recent Super Bowl halftime shows. Bad Bunny used his performance to celebrate Latin America and promote unity, while Kendrick Lamar explored America’s racial divide. The halftime show has become more than entertainment — it’s a chance to make a statement. Bieber could deliver that in a heartbeat.
Justin Bieber doesn’t need to rely on 2010s hits to reach a crowd. We saw what he did with a minute of the world’s attention at the World Cup. Imagine what he could do with 14 minutes of it. After Bieberchella and Bieber Cup, Bieber Bowl doesn’t seem so far-fetched.