Justin Bieber is – of course – known for his music. But a big part of his image is his hair! I mean, who doesn’t remember a period in the 2000s when every other guy would go around flipping their hair out of their eyes as they rocked the same do as Bieber’s during his “Baby” era.
Obviously, the now 27-year-old does not look anything like he did when he was 13 (and had his first love) – unless you count his, one, tattoo-less appearance in his ‘Anyone’ mv. Most recently, he was spotted sporting dreadlocks.
Now, his choice of hairstyle caused mixed reactions. It was the “Lonely” artists second time sporting the ‘do and many of his fellow artists seemed to dig his look. Jaden Smith commented, “Swags crazy,” while actor Moises Arias (aka Rico from Hannah Montana) commented, “We twinning once more, tripled up with [Jaden] ?.”
Unfortunately, fans weren’t quite as pleased, accusing the singer of cultural appropriation. Sometimes called “dreads” or “locs,” the hairstyle is inextricably associated with Black culture. Bieber, on his part, has credited Black culture as a strong influence on the way he carries himself. Taking to Instagram, he had posted:
“I am inspired by Black culture. I have benefited off of Black culture. My style, how I sing, dance, perform, and my fashion have all been influenced and inspired by Black culture. I am committed to using my platform this day forward to learn, to speak up about racial injustice and systemic oppression, and to identify ways to be a part of much needed change.”
Nevertheless, he may have been influenced by the resulting backlash to his hairdo for his updated look, debuting it on Instagram in a picture alongside wife Hailey.
The return of #Buzztin follows the artists quintuple nomination at the 2021 Billboard Music Awards. Following his dissatisfaction at being nominated in the Pop category at the Grammys, Bieber was nominated for “Top Song Sales Artist”, “Top Radio Songs Artist”, “Top R&B Artist”, “Top R&B Male Artist” and “Top R&B Song” for “Intentions,” featuring Quavo. He was however notably absent at the show.
*Cover image credits: @justinbieber