Why Did Justin Bieber Use YouTube at Coachella, and How Was the Move Received?

This doesn't seem to be the era of the Justins. Remember last year, when Justin Timberlake was getting called out for "lazy" performances while on tour? Well, now it's Justin Bieber's turn. The pop star chose to use YouTube at his Coachella set, and not everyone quite understood why.

Justin headlined the music festival on April 11, where he played his newer music, including some songs from his 2025 album "Yukon." While much of the singer's performance was what you'd expect from a Coachella set, featuring musical guests and impressive staging, there was a bit that not everyone comprehended. Justin spent a whopping one-third of his performance using YouTube, singing along with his younger self, and even playing some memes here and there. Now, fans want an explanation.

It seems that Justin is changing his performance style a bit, now that he's a little more mature and in a different era of his career than he was back in his "Baby" days. A lot of artists have done away with the over-choreographed sets, array of backup dancers, and crazy costumes. Now, many musical acts choose to create more intimate performances, in which they can truly connect with their fans.

That appears to be what Justin was going for with his use of YouTube at Coachella. The singer got his start on YouTube, so it makes sense that he was playing viral moments over the years, and including himself in those phenomena. Furthermore, seeing him sing along with his younger self seemed to be both cathartic and symbolic. Overall, it was a stripped-down, raw performance, with a similar vibe to the show he gave at the 2026 Grammys. However, not everyone appreciated the move.

There were certainly mixed feelings about Justin's Coachella set, and Beliebers made their thoughts known! One Reddit thread about the show saw a fan come to the pop star's defense by writing, "Not gonna lie, to me it’s kinda brilliant and oddly intimate to do this. I think it may have been weirder to see him jump around the stage, performing those songs like the pop star he used to be. It’s clearly not his vision anymore."

However, a less-than-thrilled listener wrote, "Most people outside of his cult fanbase have a pretty negative opinion of this performance. I’m watching some of the stream, and yeah, it’s pretty wack LOL." Other scathing reviews included admittedly funny comments like, "This sounds like an overpriced PowerPoint," and "'This concert could have been an email' vibes."

One of the more even-keeled commenters posted, "I think he was making a statement similar to the one he made with his Grammy’s performance: He’s not playing into your idea of what a 'pop star' is anymore. No production, no choreography, just him. Take it or leave it. He still had thousands of people singing along with every word." Truthfully, even if the set didn't work (although there's a strong argument that it did), Justin has been through so much, we'd give him a pass.

Clearly, the singer is happy with his Coachella performance and isn't about to say "Sorry," as he's responded to the backlash by expressing that it all went exactly the way he wanted it to. Per Elite Daily, a representative of the pop star said, "It was meant to show his journey from posting videos on YouTube to performing on one of the world’s biggest stages, also on YouTube."