I’ve noticed something strange happening. My female friends and I are still very loyal to our love for the Backstreet Boys, N*SYNC, Britney Spears, S Club 7, (etc.) Every now and then we’ll put in an old CD into the car stereo, sing along and reminisce.
But lately whenever anybody from my generation comes across a young pop star of today, the eyes roll and the radio switches off. There is one in particular that seems to have all my twenty something friends in absolute agony.
Justin Bieber.
It’s Bieber Fiever. And my friends seem to be extremely allergic. It is strange because I’ve seen the same people who still worship the teen idols of our youth scorn those of today. But what is so different about them?
Why are we so annoyed by these new teen pop stars?
Well, probably because most of them are talent-less hair twirlers cranked out by the Disney Channel (Miley Cyrus, the Jonas Brothers, Selena Gomez, Miranda Cosgrove. . .) We’re worried about the musical degradation of the next generation. They’re being inadvertently sexualized and brainwashed, at least, according to the Disney critics.
But Beiber is different. He made a name for himself on YouTube when he began posting videos for singing contests. Soon enough, Justin Timberlake and Usher were battling over this small Canadian kid who, I’ll admit, kind of looks like a girl. He signed with Usher and the rest is history. Bieber has an obvious advantage to his pre teen counter parts.
Talent. He’s talented not just as a musician, but also as a performer. Heck, the kid can hold his own next to Usher. And anybody who has seen some of his live YouTube videos knows he has the voice to back it up. Plus he’s cute as button. (Perhaps a tad on the feminine side, but what’s wrong with that?)
His music celebrates a part of youth that we can no longer understand or relate to. In our rush to grow up and prepare for the real world, songs about first loves and school crushes seem laughable.
Justin Bieber represents something so sweet and wholesome that it makes older, more jaded college students retch. Maybe our resentment comes from a deeper bitterness that gone are the days when we were free to obsess over the cute boy with the guitar. We’ve moved on and grown up.
But that doesn’t mean we can’t still celebrate youth. There a lot of people, of all ages, out there who understand what I’m talking about. There are adults who really do love Bieber, not because of a deep longing for youth, but because they genuinely love his music. It’s ok to throw Bieber some love. It won’t ruin your taste in music or your ears. But if not, that’s fine. Just please stop rolling your eyes and making plans to bury him.
Even though the Bieber Fiever probably won’t be able to woo anyone over the age of 15, there are parts of his music and message that we all can enjoy. I think there is room in all of our hearts for a little J.B. Not in a creepy jailbait way, but more like a fond memory of our carefree preteen days.
It may be naïve and overly sweet, but he makes people happy. Girls all over the country sing in the shower and into hairbrushes. They dance when they think no one is looking and try really hard to not to hum to loud in class.
Since I still do all of these things, I know there is a little room for Bieber in my life. And on my iPod.
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