Teenage girls can scream. And if you were at the Sevens Stadium in Dubai on Saturday night, you’d be convinced teenage girls who are Justin Bieber fans can scream even louder.
“Oh my god I see him. He’s soooo hot!” shrieked one right behind us when the 19-year-old pop sensation appeared on stage two hours and 10 minutes after the scheduled show time.
Before the ring in our ears died down, the scream had echoed to the rest of the packed stadium, as beats of his all-encompassing hit ‘All Around the World’ drowned it out and the Biebster broke into song. Dressed in an all-white ensemble, he looked very much like the pop sensation he is, as the excitement spread inside the 15,000-capacity venue.
“Dubai are you ready to have some fun tonight?” he asked as the screams got louder.
But strangely, he disappeared soon after, leaving the stage to a DJ who played – and we still can’t figure out why – Swedish House Mafia’s ‘Don’t You Worry Child’.
Bieber appeared after the song, breaking into ‘Take You’, his second song of the night from his latest album ‘Believe’.
“What’s up Dubai?” he managed after the song, one of the few times he tried to connect with his adoring fans. “This is my first time in Dubai and I love you so much that I decided to add another day.
“You guys don’t mind if I get a little comfortable?” he then asked, removing his jacket and revealing a white vest -- cue more screams -- before singing the mellow ‘Caching Feelings’.
For the rest of his older hits, Bieber rushed through them, as if reminding his fans the tour is called ‘Believe’ for a reason. And so followed a medley of ‘One Time’, his Sean Kingston collaboration ‘Eenie Meenie’ and ‘Somebody to Love’.
But just when you thought he had the momentum, he slowed it down again with ‘Die in Your Arms’. The song was a cue for many parents to call it a night as some made their way towards the exit, kids in tow. It was a school night after all.
Up in front though, the excitement was palpable. Bieber fed it with the upbeat ‘Out of Town Girl’, picking up the pace. Then, proving he’s grown out of his purple (it was his favourite colour as a babyface wonder, or from his previous album) phase, he politely chided his fans at one point: “You can’t be throwing things on stage. I’ve got thousands of purple hats already. But thanks for the offer.”
A rather poignant medley of videos then played on the screen, tracking’s Bieber evolution as a young kid who became a YouTube sensation to his current status as one of pop’s most successful artists.
“When I was younger I was told I could not be what I wanted to be. But I lived by one motto, and that is...,” he teased, as he broke into hit single ‘Never Say Never’, which also became the title of his box office smash concert film.
The wildest reaction though came when he intro-ed ‘Beauty and the Beat’ and followed it quickly by a short set on drums, showing off his talent.
But by the time he sang ‘Believe’, the stadium was already beginning to empty out as the clock struck 11pm. Those who left missed his performance of one of his current biggest hits, ‘Boyfriend’ and, of course, the song that started it all, ‘Baby’.
Bieber’s dedicated fans probably didn’t mind that he lip-synched through some of the songs, and to be fair, he’s being performing non-stop since the tour began last year -- that’s crazy for anyone, let alone a 19-year old. But whether it was the jarring set list, or the passing acknowledgement of his fans up in front, or his tardiness considering the average age of his fan base, this pop sensation stopped short of wowing on his Middle East debut. Perhaps he’ll pick it up on his second night on Sunday, us cynical grown-ups can only hope.
