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Will Justin Bieber charm the UAE all over again?

As Saturday, May 6 approaches, Bieber mania in the UAE is at its peak, and here at City Times, we couldn't help but get caught up in all the excitement.
Honestly, the 23-year-old Canadian singer-songwriter is not someone we took an instant liking to, when he first exploded on to the music scene in 2010 with his debut album My World 2.0, which went multi-Platinum in the U.S. and contained his superhit single Baby, one of those songs that annoyingly tends to stay in your head long after you've heard it.
At that time, perhaps, his music may not have been our cup of tea, but we have to admit that over the years Bieber has shown incredible maturity and range as far as talent goes - proving beyond doubt that he is anything but a one-hit wonder or one of those teen pop sensations who fades into obscurity after a short stint in the spotlight.
His 2015 album Purpose, with heartfelt gems like Sorry and Love Yourself, had a lot to do with converting us to almost-Bielebers, we guess! Recently, watching videos of a very young Bieber cover his favourite hits like With You (Chris Brown) and Cry Me A River (Justin Timberlake) proved a pleasant trip down memory lane and reminded us of the dazzling raw vocal stylings he possessed that were honed into something much bigger as time went by and the cute YouTube sensation morphed into a handsome, all-grown-up superstar who is selling out gigs across the world.
Bieber has often been in the news more for his run-ins with the law and randomly bizarre antics on and off stage than anything else, and haters, paparazzi and even certain sections of the media pounce on these controversies, milking them for all they are worth and more.
While we in no way attempt to justify any of his odd or bad behaviour we can't help but wonder, from his point of view, how difficult it must have been to be catapulted into the spotlight at such a naïve age, growing up struggling with bewildering fame and wealth beyond your wildest expectations, dealing with the pressures of being on top of your game every time you face thousands of fans in a concert.
There are of course people who argue thus: if you can't deal with the fallout, don't aim for the stars, but that comes across as just feeble, armchair criticism of the complex issue of difficult transitions faced by many young celebrities today.A classic example is Britney Spears, who went from baby faced Mickey Mouse Club performer to teen superstar to having an infamous meltdown; then steadily over a period of time managed to get back on her feet - an admirable feat.
Fame comes at a price that Bieber seems willing and able to pay (so far), and for people like us who've got music running through our veins we just hope he never loses the part of him that really mattered - the kid who sang his heart out in all those YouTube covers years ago. Keep it real Biebs, and try to stay out of trouble - you've got an army of Bielebers that have your back. And to paraphrase Rihanna, Please Don't Stop The Music.

Thomas Ovesen, CEO, 117 Live! airs his views on Justin Bieber and the upcoming concert.

This is the second time Bieber is coming to Dubai, last time there were two concerts due to the huge demand. What are your thoughts on his May 6 concert and why did you decide to bring him back here?
When he was here last we had a smaller concert capacity and so needed to stage two shows to accommodate all fans - this time with the Autism Rocks arena we can manage with one night only! Justin Bieber is not only one of the chart topping artists of today and a huge star but one of the most in demand touring artists and most requested talents by the regional fans. There are few artists in the world that can sell as many concert tickets here as Bieber and so when the opportunity to have only one Middle Eastern show scheduled came up, we wanted to make sure Dubai again would be the host city.
Superstars come with a lot of baggage at times and Bieber has been part of a couple of controversies over the years. What are your impressions of him?
When we first worked together he was younger and still coming to grips with the life of a superstar - this time around it is a young man in control of his own career visiting us, and as his music and show has matured so has the artist and person that is Justin Bieber. I am a great believer in giving people a second chance and without knowing him well I can say with confidence that he is one of the most talented artists I have met and had the pleasure of working with! I am sure there will be many more world tours to follow and so also hopefully many more Dubai shows for fans to get excited about as they all are for this Saturday's concert!
Concert information
*Doors open at 4pm. If conditions permit, doors will open earlier. If so this will be communicated on all 117Live Social Media Platforms - Twitter, Instagram and Facebook- so please keep an eye out for live updates.
*Professional photography is not permitted at the concert. Mobile phones are permitted.
*In order to beat main road traffic, arrive early at the area and enjoy the comfortable facilities at Dubai Outlet Mall, located a stone's throw away from the arena. Shuttle buses will be provided from the mall to the arena starting at 3pm.
*Many roads if not all lead to the Autism Rocks Arena on May 6. Please follow the 117Live social media channels and www.117live.com for updates on new road option (off E611) as well as suggested high way directions to get to the venue from various points of the UAE.
*Please bring cash with you, whilst there are ATMs these are limited, skip the queue and buy F&B tokens and official merchandise as soon as you arrive!
enid@khaleejtimes.com
 

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