Pitchfork Contributing Editor and Asst. Professor at Syracuse University Rawiya Kameir and DJ Louie get into it about one of contemporary pop’s most divisive figures, Justin Bieber. Louie and Rawiya discuss pop’s evolution beyond the need for male pop stars in the late ‘00s and how Bieber entered to fill the void, initially as one of the first music superstars to emerge on YouTube, and later as a certified hitmaker. They then dive into what makes the Beliebers perhaps the definitive Standom of the internet era, the numerous ways Bieber attempted to pivot to credible adult star in the first part of ‘10s, the implicit racial dynamics in his passion for R&B music as well as attempts by the powers that be to moderate that, how he became the most loathed celebrity on earth before mounting a massive comeback with his 3rd album Purpose, his ongoing knotty relationship to fame and latest incarnation as a chilled-out, proudly devout Wife Guy. Finally, Louie and Rawiya have a thorny debate about where Bieber belongs in the official Pop Pantheon.

Check out Louie's Playlist of Bieber Essentials on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5Gx2Fa46woFqHkJ0LTqiPY?si=5036fcedb6b74a57

Join the Pop Pantheon Bieber Discord Chat w/ DJ Louie on 9/23 at 9PM ET / 6PM PT!: https://discord.gg/xqVe5bsE

Read Rawiya's Review of Justice on Pitchfork: https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/justin-bieber-justice/

NYC: RSVP to See DJ Louie Play Free Afterparties for Who? Weekly's Shows at The Bellhouse 10/22 + 10/23!

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Follow Rawiya Kameir on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rawiya