Bea Neville, a longtime Justin Bieber fan, travelled to Coachella to see him headline after years of following his career. In this personal reflection, she shares her experience of the festival, her enduring loyalty, and the powerful moment that stood out above it all.
Being a dedicated Belieber since 2010, I’ve seen him live over ten times. However, the last tour I had tickets for in the UK was cancelled during the Europe leg, so he never made it to England. When I heard he was headlining Coachella—at a time when I knew my second son would be old enough (nine months) to stay with my parents, I knew I had to try to get tickets.
Thankfully, we have very willing grandparents who were happy to take both our three-year-old and nine-month-old for a week. My husband and I, and two of my sisters, managed to secure tickets and spent a few days in Los Angeles beforehand, where the city seemed full of queues for coffee and people wandering around in workout clothes.
Arriving at Coachella, we were stunned by the beauty of the setting, the rolling desert hills, beautiful trees, and the incredible sunset on our first evening
Arriving at Coachella, we were stunned by the beauty of the setting, the rolling desert hills, beautiful trees, and the incredible sunset on our first evening. However, the festival itself felt quite shallow. The crowds didn’t seem particularly interested in the music, there wasn’t much happening during the day apart from people doing their makeup and taking photos of themselves, and I felt it lacked the strong sense of community you often find at UK festivals.
READ MORE: Justin Bieber’s wife asks for prayer for his mental health
Over the years, I’ve always felt a deep sense of loyalty to Justin, having followed him closely and knowing the strength of both his and his mother’s faith. Even during the darker times, when he struggled with alcohol, was arrested for drink driving, and was publicly shamed for his behaviour, I felt a strong compassion for him that kept me loyal. And sure enough, he has come through it. Now married to Hailey (née Baldwin) and a father to his son, Jack, he speaks openly about his faith.
Justin Bieber’s mother, Pattie Mallette, writes in her book Nowhere but Up that she became pregnant just a few months after nearly taking her own life, an experience that led her to church through visits from a pastor at her local youth club.
READ MORE: 5 important reminders about marriage from Hailey and Justin Bieber
A member of her church prophesied over her unborn child, saying he would be given stages and millions of people to show the love of God to.
A member of her church prophesied over her unborn child, saying he would be given stages and millions of people to show the love of God to. She recalls, “I remember a whole bunch of leaders praying over me, filled with the Spirit and prophesying that I was going to birth revival.”
Thirty-two years later, Justin Bieber performed on the main stage at Coachella, selling the highest number of tickets in the festival’s history and becoming the highest-paid artist it has ever booked. The sense of hysteria was palpable, we were even on a flight with multiple girls wearing “Bieberchella” hoodies, and the crowds on the day were the largest the festival had ever seen.
READ MORE: Justin Bieber had to pause his tour due to facial paralysis struggles, but says Jesus has given him peace
After performing songs from his new album SWAG, and taking fans on a journey through his earlier music, he stripped things back and sang “Hallelujah” from the same album, a song that gives glory to God for both the ordinary and the good in his life. Christian faith felt like a much more visible part of US culture during our time in California, certainly more so than in the UK. Yet no other artist we saw at Coachella performed a full worship song.
As he sang, a ring of lights above his head formed what looked like a halo. I’m not sure if this was intentional, but it made me pause and reflect in the middle of all the excitement, it was the first time I’d seen him perform in years.
Amid the chaos of influencers and screaming fans, the crowd fell silent as he sang “Hallelujah” again and again. The following day, the song was streamed 24.6 million times in the US alone, seemingly echoing the prophecy spoken over Pattie all those years ago.
No comments yet