Justin Bieber covers GQ’s March issue. I have a thing for men’s suiting so I read GQ like pr0n. Without discussing Bieber as a model, the photo-shoot (shirtless pics aside) is great; I love the whole retro hip styling. I know sockless is a thing now but I dislike it so I am ignoring the naked ankles. The outfits are stylish and young and the tailoring is fantastic. The brushed jacket tuxedo is gorgeous but I think the dark-slacked skateboarding outfit is my favorite.
Bieber has been trying to clean up his tarnished reputation for a while now. While trying to seem more contrite he’s had a few notable slipups. Predictable, he’s given yet another candid interview about how much he has changed:
After a rowdy few years full of landmark missteps, mop buckets, and a misplaced monkey, Justin Bieber is ready to reintroduce himself. GQ writer Caity Weaver spent time with Bieber in New York City and at his Beverly Hills suite, where they candidly discussed a range of topics including his relationship with model Hailey Baldwin (“Someone I really love. We spend a lot of time together.”), his faith, and finally growing up. The 21-year-old singer also cleared up any misconceptions about his hit single, “Sorry,” an infectious banger many assumed was a personal apology for all his transgressions. “People ran with that,” he says. “—that I was like, apologizing with that song and stuff. It really had nothing to do with that . . . It was about a girl.”
In fact, Bieber’s public-apology tour was less about forgiveness and more about acknowledging past mistakes. “Everyone when they start growing up realizes, ‘Man, I did some dumb sh-t when I was younger,’” he says. “It’s not just me . . . If I could go back I wouldn’t really change much. I think it’s all my journey. That stuff made me who I am.”
“I just had to figure out what kind of man I wanted to be. I have awesome people in my corner,” he said. “I’m human I’m still going to make mistakes. I think that’s what’s cool about this growth is people can see it. I’ve made a transition and been consistent.”
I do love the part where he admits “Sorry” is about some girl; when Bieber is honest he is at his most interesting. I feel like he is splitting his narrative on his troubled youth. He is constantly reminding us that he was thrown into stardom at 12 and that being a child star is the worst thing ever. In the next breath, he speaks of how much he has learned/matured and how all his crazy youth has formed who he is. He admits he wouldn’t change much about his past so am I supposed to feel sorry for him or not?
As for Beiber’s relationship with Hailey, this interview obviously happened after they went public. Last week, she sent some tweets that suggested a breakup. Except that it looks that is not that case as she went to San Francisco with Bieber last Saturday but flew to New York to watch the Super Bowl with Selena Gomez. What is going on? I guess only time and Instagram will tell.
If you need a procrastination tool today, check out E!’s brief history of Bieber apologies.
Photo credit: Eric Ray Davidson/GQ Magazine
I’m sure he must have a redeeming feature. It must be my fault that I have yet to notice it.
He is bit of ahole but granted he is only 21 with no real parental guidance and way to much money..all those equals a receipe for disaster. I hope he fines his way
My thoughts exactly. Although, I’m not so sure…
Does he love his mum or his granny or something? Best I can come up with!
Norman Bates loved his mother too…….
The thing about him, to me, is that at his core he’s just not a nice person. Everyone screws up when they’re young. But he treats people badly, especially people who can’t answer back, and he doesn’t regret it. He just blows it off as “dumb shit everybody does when they’re young.” He may grow enough to accept responsibility for his behavior, but until he does I just think he’s not worth the time.
+1
Exactly this.
100% agree with you, mostly because of the depo video where he showed his true colors. I wanted to punch him so bad, then I realized I don’t care about his music or anything of him. He’s not worth the time, there’s way more talented musicians out there that I can support who don’t act like as*holes all the time.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59tbNg42BHA
Agreed. I don’t think there’s any genuine remorse, or concern for anyone else. He’s only sorry when it gets him negative publicity and gets him in trouble with his handlers. It’s a deep character flaw, not youthful foolishness.
He seemed sort of “nice” when he first got famous. Therefore, I think he had the potential to grow into a nice person. But I don’t think his dad helped matters. His dad seems like a jerk who enabled his son to be a jerk.
I don’t feel sorry for him, but I wonder how he might have turned out if his parents weren’t so strange. I guess I wonder that with most child stars though. Children show a lot of potential for good but without guidance their direction can go either way.
Yup. He’s not the first child star in the world so it surprises me people really buy into that narrative.
Bieber ALWAYS apologises and does puppy eyes when he screws up. And he keeps screwing up, and keeps apologising. I think he’s more calm now because he noticed it’s beneficial for his career.
Does he only have one look he can do with his face? He will always annoy me. No amount of apologied will change that.
+1,000,000
Nice dirt-stache, douche.
I’m okay with the dirt ‘stache. I seriously spent two years absolutely convinced he was a teenage girl in boy band drag, so I’m less confused now that I’m seeing him finally transition into the binary gender he seems to believe he is.
I call it chin fungus
but dirt-stache will do equally well.
Once a douche, always a douche. He’s not sorry for what he did, he’s sorry there was a backlash that affected his bank account.
That’s how I feel. There is absolutely nothing genuine about his apology. He’s done this before and few months later you’d hear about something douchey he did again.
To me he’s a spoilt a-hole. I don’t like his music and well older than 12 to be his target audience but I would be willing to give him the benefit of the doubt if I thought he was genuine.
Love the suits and the style though. If only it wasn’t him wearing them. His smirk and those stupid lifted eyebrows are so annoying.
This.
He’s not sorry, he just wants money and says whatever people tell him to say.
Yup. Still can’t stand the guy, and am looking forward the day when I don’t have to hear his insipid songs on the radio or see his gormless face on magazine covers.
Those hairy legs are so wrong on the bottom pic. Put some socks on Bieber!
That face, that shirt, that pose and those skinny hairy legs; that pic is all kinds of wrong.
Woah woah woah, whats wrong with men having hairy legs?
“Let us now forgive Justin Bieber” No, let’s not…..let’s point and laugh at him (too mean?)
Srsly. Can we stop with the stupid trend of collectively asking the public to do something that the majority doesn’t care about doing or worse, is against? I hate the “let’s” in the cover, as GQ, benevolent protector of douchebags gets to decide who is to be forgiven and who isn’t and we the public should follow suit. Caty Weaver was more fun when she used to write for Jezebel. I don’t remember her liking this little twerp then.
I really like his new sound, but the lyrics are awful. Sorry is the worst apology ever. He’s like, oh I’ll apologize cuz your mad but it’s your fault too.
I would still shame hit it. Because apparently i find petulant man babies who make fake apologies attractive and the tattoos and suits don’t help with my sad predicament either.
Please bring back the diaper pants for my sanity. That will for sure kill it.
So you did some dumb stuff ‘when you were younger’, hm? Glad that’s all in the past now…
2015, the early Paleolithic era… Who remembers that?
And may I just add he is looking more and more like Kate McKinnon in the CK ad. Twins. 🙂
Kate doing Beiber is stellar.
Don’t you have to age a bit more before you start saying ‘younger’ as if it was decades ago versus last year?
ROTFL This! He’s 21 not 30. I don’t think his brain has even fully developed yet. lol
It literally hasn’t – he has another 4 years or so before the brain has fully developed.
Have you ever seen Masterchef Junior? It’s so cute when those nine year olds say this is the “most exciting thing that I’ve done in my whole life!”
I am not a bieber apologist, but I do think people can change and mature, especially between the age of 16 and 22. I know I certainly did, quite a bit. And have continued to mature and evolve as I continue to get older. That is why I don’t believe in the “once an ass, always an ass” line, and do believe in redemption.
Now, whether or not Birber has remains to be seen. He needs to show us with actions. Having a best selling album does not equal redemption. He has to have actually stopped acting like a spoiled brat.
I believe people can change, too, and in his case, he’s still to young to tell. He might be great at 40. But I think his fundamental beliefs about himself will have to be shaken. He still doesn’t take responsibility for his behavior. I hope he does someday.
Don’t worry you’re still doing stupid sh-t now.
Wait, his current girlfriend is friends with his ex? Weird.
I found myself asking my new puppy, in my bossy mother tone, what kind of dog he wanted to be (after he ate my flip flops). Beiber’s would have been the perfect answer:
“I just have to figure out what kind of dog I want to be. I have awesome people in my corner,” he said. “I’m canine, I’m still going to make mistakes. I think that’s what’s cool about this growth is people can see it. I’ve made a transition and been [pretty] consistent.”
and crap. in the 40 minutes since I wrote that, puppykins decided to unravel my knitting project. so much for a fresh start. hope that Bieber holds it together longer.
🙂
This cover is so funny.
He looks like a 10 year old in his dad’s suit.
I can’t say I like the kid – but I kind of like the new sound. And I like some of the new suits.
He’s kind of another one of the celebs people love to hate. The guy could literally rescue a kitten from a burning building, and get shit for it. Yeah, he deserves plenty of backlash for the dumb, harmful things he’s done of the years. But a certain amount of that blame needs to go on his parents as well – he WAS a child star. He WAS surrounded with yes-men and parents who enjoyed their ride on the Bieber-cash-train – he never had the foundation that most people have.
I tend to think along these lines- he’s 21 now. If he can actually make changes and start getting his shit together and accepting responsibility for his choices – then that’s what should matter going forward. I personally would never want to be in his position- it’s going to be tough to crawl out of the hole he’s in.
I don’t believe any of his apologies.
Yuk.
Until he has opened an animal rescue center, worked there tirelessly for ten years or so, I will not accept his apology. Dude needs some character development STAT.
Um, he got kicked out of the Tulum Ruins last month. But oh, that was his younger self… I get it.
he was younger then – a whole month younger!
Nah, he’s still a full of sh*t douche.
Wasn’t it just a month ago he disrespected the ancient ruins in Mexico?
I don’t believe you for a nanosecond, you little turd.
I completely believe people can change, especially once they get out of their early 20s. I’ve seen it happen with a friend. He was just kicked out of the Tulum ruins though.
Before i read the article I have to say, just looking at Bieber reminds me that he rarely comes across as being comfortable in front of the camera. He has an ever present insecure gaze, as if his main nonverbal is “is this okay?Is this what you want? How bout now?Now?What about now?” The guy’s a real-life puppet!
I’m consistently surprised that no one has ever taken the time to coach him or if they have, how its landed on deaf ears or, possibly in his case, a deaf mind due to drugs, Yes Men, fame, money and whatnot.
“I’m human I’m still going to make mistakes….” No you’re an insufferable little wet fart of a permanent adolescent who deliberately chooses to be an arrogant a$$hole at every opportunity.
I’d maybe buy this was just him growing up and being dumb and he learned if he didn’t turn right back into a spoiled, rude, temper tantrum throwing arse once it became clear he had the #1 spot locked in and if he wasn’t just kicked out of the Tulum ruins for being a disrespectful douche a few weeks ago.
Am I the only one who doesn’t mind the sockless look? Ankles are fun!
I think he has done some pretty typical dumb teenage jerk stuff. There isn’t any of it not redeemable or a reason to be dogged endlessly. He was thrown into shark infested waters at a very young age, but he did get rich from it. That’s a very dangerous combination for anyone.
Maybe it’s me but I could swear he’s still doing dumb sh-t.
I feel disgusting for finding him hot now. Ew for myself.
Go and stand in the corner….
Hold up, Justin…..I have every confidence that you are still doing dumb stuff and have potential to screw up even more.