Justin Bieber’s “Everything Hallelujah” is becoming a cultural touchstone in the aftermath of his Coachella headlining debut, and he has plenty of reasons to sing it after reasserting his once-in-a-lifetime songbird status the past two weekends.
During his first 90-minute performance on April 11, as I reviewed here, Bieber used minimalistic production to maximize a message of healing and returning to oneself — letting his voice lead the way, as always.
It was nostalgic to watch Bieber harmonize with younger versions of himself on YouTube, and it was powerful to witness his artistry evolve in real time. By staging his genre-bending, Grammy-nominated album “SWAG” and its counterpart “SWAG II” from last July and September, respectively, Bieber reminded everyone he still packs a heavy punch.
It was literally historic, too: highest-ever ticket demand, highest-ever ticket prices, and most-viewed Coachella performance ever.
Bieber doubled down for his Weekend 2 set — amping up the nostalgia by making Billie Eilish his “One Less Lonely Girl” and bringing out Big Sean for “As Long As You Love Me” and “No Pressure.”
But Bieber’s iconic reach didn’t end there.
Off the stage, Bieber and his SKYLRK brand set another Coachella record.
Last week, SKYLRK confirmed via email that they had sold $5.04 million worth of product in the first weekend alone, which already shattered the festival’s previous record of $1.7 million in two-weekend sales. SKYLRK outdid itself during Weekend 2, bringing the total two-weekend profit to $15 million.
For both weekends, SKYLRK installed a 10,000-square-foot “Oasis” space, with “mesmeric video visuals alongside cooling misting stations, soothing sounds, and custom SKYLRK furniture,” as we covered here.
The SKYLRK shop was installed adjacent to SKYLRK Oasis, marking only the second time people have been able to shop SKYLRK products in person. The first was a wildly successful Tokyo pop-up last December.
Alongside creative director Neima Khaila, Bieber launched SKYLRK last July. SKYLRK has quickly staked its claim in fashion and lifestyle through eye-catching silhouettes and aesthetically pleasing color palettes. The team drew inspiration from renowned light-and-space artist James Turrell, as Bieber explained on Twitch last October.
SKYLRK’s emergence has coincided with Bieber’s reclaiming of his own voice through “SWAG” and “SWAG II” after parting ways with his former management in recent years.
Fittingly, Bieber sported SKYLRK on stage both weekends. For his first performance, he wore a pink SKYLRK hoodie, the “Speed Demon” sunglasses, and SKYLRK denim shorts. For Weekend 2, Bieber added a SKYLRK beanie and kept the “Speed Demon” sunglasses, although this time in the “TREE” color way, and denim shorts.
Bieberchella is over. I know, it hurt me to write that sentence as much as it hurts to read it. The only conclusion to draw is that, after all these years, people still embrace Bieber and his creativity in every form, to say the least. As of Monday, seven of Bieber’s albums charted simultaneously on the Billboard 200 for the first time in his career.
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