Justin Bieber is having a moment. Last week, he made US chart history when he smashed a record previously held by the Beatles for the most singles in the charts in a single week (the Beatles had 14 in 1964, Bieber had 17). This week, he looks set to beat himself to number one in the UK chart with “Love Yourself”. He’s been a teen sensation for years, but so far never received this level of international popularity: now, Bieber is all grown up. At least, that’s what his label would like us to think.
Bieber’s songwriters, stylists and management have worked hard to cultivate an image of new-found maturity to coincide with the release of his latest album Purpose, mostly aiming to achieve this through a heady mix of shirtless photoshoots and apologetic soundbites. (See his Men’s Health cover earlier this year, for the “Reinvention Issue”: “It’s time for me to grow up.”)
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