With one month to go until his first of two shows at MetLife Stadium, my anticipation to see Justin Bieber perform was almost unbearable.
Other fans could certainly say the same, as he had planned various performances in stadiums across the country, such as the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, and even making his way up to the Rogers Centre in Toronto. With his overseas performances nearing a successful close, fans in North America and Canada were eager to welcome Bieber to their cities this summer, before sending him off to complete his Purpose Tour with shows in Japan, Hong Kong, The Philippines, and Singapore.
With tickets in my possession, a planned outfit for the show, and an empty camera roll to fill with pictures and videos from the evening, I was more than prepared for the excitement that would ensue on August 23rd. Every detail of the day was planned from start to finish, just to be completely positive it would transpire as I originally imagined. I was ecstatic and eager to see what Bieber had to offer to an entire stadium audience. He, however, did not appear to be on the same page.
On the afternoon of July 24th, a statement was posted on Bieber’s website (justinbiebermusic.com) stating: “Due to unforeseen circumstances, Justin Bieber will cancel the remainder of the Purpose World Tour concerts. Justin loves his fans and hates to disappoint them. He thanks his fans for the incredible experience of the Purpose World Tour over last 18 months. He is grateful and honored to have shared that experience with his cast and crew for over 150 successful shows across 6 continents during this run.
However, after careful consideration, he has decided he will not be performing any further dates. Tickets will be refunded at point of purchase.”
Fans immediately took to social media expressing concern, outrage, and grief, especially those with tickets to his upcoming performances, like myself. I was incredibly puzzled and distraught upon hearing the news. New tour dates had been put out not long before this announcement, and the Justin Bieber I’ve come to admire for seven years would do anything in his power to not miss a show. Even throughout his downward spiral nearly 3 years ago (to which his poor mental and physical health was a key factor), he still managed to pull through and finish an entire tour, despite what was occurring behind the scenes. If he were to cancel the remainder of a tour, without finishing out as strongly as he could, or postponing dates, something very serious must have had to occur.
The same day, TMZ released a video of Bieber, expressing the same concern regarding the cancellation. He however, gave off the impression that everything was going fine for him.
“Yeah everything’s fine”, Bieber stated. “I’ve been on tour for two years.” He adds that he is looking forward to some down time, as well as his own message to his fans: “I love you guys, I think you guys are awesome. Sorry for anybody that feels disappointed or betrayed”.
Though I’m grateful he made an attempted apology to fans, Bieber has yet to give a concrete explanation for the cancellation. Judging by his attitude, it seems he cancelled the remaining performances simply because he wasn’t up for it. If this is the case, I am incredibly disappointed. He is going about as though he hasn’t shattered the hearts of thousands of fans who planned to see him sometime within the next few months.
If he were to come out with a statement citing specific or legitimate reasons for cancelling, or even stating it was for personal reasons, I would sympathize with him. He has yet to do so, with only his manager, Scooter Braun, stating in an Instagram post that “it (the cancellation) was never their intent”, and that “a man’s soul and well being he truly cares about came first”.
Rumors have been circulating as well, saying Bieber has cancelled his tour in order to reconnect with his faith, and that he has plans to start his own church (the second part, obviously, going a little too far). But until he chooses to post his own statement, I’m not going to believe rumors or excuses written in the tabloids. I’m going to remain optimistic that we will get a genuine explanation in the near future, because hearing that he "needs rest", in my mind, doesn't appear to be the full story.
In 2013, after seeing Bieber pull through an entire tour with his mental health on the line, it's evident to me that he has the capability to continue the Purpose Tour. He has had a reasonable amount of break time in between certain shows (including nearly having the entire month of July off), and had fans counting down the days, minutes, and seconds to their show, so why stop here? As far as my message to him goes, I'd say: You've gotten some rest, it's time to go back out and finish as strongly as you can. I believe you have the strength and energy to put forth a fantastic show that your fans will remember for years to come. Get out on stage doing what you do best, with your fans being right there to cheer you on for every moment.