TV

Justin Bieber Teases Hilariously Cringey YouTube Series, "Seasons"

The Biebs overcomes years of mild inconveniences, returning to the stage in his brilliant, insulting new trailer.

Justin Bieber

Shutterstock

Are you a Justin Bieber fan? Cool! He thinks you're an easily manipulated idiot.

Today, Justin released the trailer for his upcoming docuseries, Seasons, on his official YouTube account. It's intimate, emotional, inspiring, and it's also overt propaganda designed to manufacture relevance and public support for a fading pop star-turned-meme. Every aspect of the trailer wants you to see Bieber as a victim, from the cliché, sad piano underpinning the first 40 seconds to the laughably melodramatic testimonial clips from "concerned" friends and family. It's unintentionally pretty funny, but also gross.

Bieber Is Back - Justin Bieber: Seasonswww.youtube.com

While no details are given in the video regarding the hardship Bieber has been going through, we do get dramatic shots of him moping in various locations. The classic rule of filmmaking: Show don't tell. Here we can actually see Justin grappling with his inner turmoil and heroically overcoming his trials and tribulations.

Justin Bieber sad in the desert Justin Bieber searching his basketball shorts for hope, unable to find it under wads of cash.

You can tell he is really sad here, because the footage is in black and white. Plus, he is in the desert, completely alone (with the exception of the massive film crew and catered food outside the shot). Just like Jesus, JB is confronting demons, like how "coffee [used to] come out better."

At one point in the video, JB's manager, Scooter Braun (the guy Taylor Swift accused of bullying her) literally says: "No one's ever grown up, in the history of humanity, like Justin Bieber."

"WHAT?!" gif

I can name a couple, Mr. Braun, and their legacies didn't age very well.

That's what pisses me off about Seasons and this ad for it. Bieber and the team behind this project are deliberately attempting to manipulate the audience to feel bad for him as if he has resembled anything close to an underdog since age 13.

"But wait," you argue, "he isn't actually hurting anyone or manipulating anyone." WRONG! This is a PR stunt combined with a promotional campaign for an upcoming album, and its sole purpose is to get public sentiment back on his side, then take your money for that album and all subsequent merchandise and tours. Furthermore, it hurt my brain to watch.


I legit loved the episode of SNL when Justin Bieber hosted. I thought he was great.

I hope I'm wrong and that Seasons is a quality docuseries with heart. Perhaps this trailer was cooked up by YouTube executives or some marketing agency and Justin Bieber is contractually obligated to push such promotional materials on his personal social media accounts. YouTube is paying $2 million per episode (10 episodes total), so I wouldn't be surprised. Or maybe he likes the video because it shows off some sweet new tattoos. To his credit, it looks very well shot. If the implicit and explicit messaging of the trailer weren't so intellectually bankrupt, insulting, and self-righteous, I'd be super psyched for this Entourage reboot.

Oh and his upcoming single, "Yummy" just sounds...creepy.

MUSIC

American Authors Begin a New Chapter with "Before I Go" Music Video

The band begins a new chapter with a fearless announcement of what it means to be human.

American Authors just released the music video for "Before I Go," shot at drummer Matt Sanchez's wedding last October.

"Before I Go" is from the band's most recent album, Seasons, which has accumulated 30 million streams on Spotify, along with millions more on other platforms.

Based in Brooklyn, American Authors is made up of Zac Barnett (vocals), James Adam Shelley (guitar, banjo), Dave Rublin (bass), and Matt Sanchez (drums). In 2012, after changing their name from the Blue Pages to American Authors, they signed with Mercury Records and released their debut single, "Believer," earning well-deserved attention. Their follow-up single, "Best Day of My Life," went triple-platinum and launched the band to galactic success, appearing everywhere: television, movies, video games, and sporting events.

Since then, American Authors have dropped three albums, Oh, What A Life, What We Live For, and Seasons, resulting in sold-out shows around the world, as well as performances at Lollapalooza, Firefly Music Festive, BottleRock, Reading Festival, and the Leeds Festival, Pukkelpop, SXSW, and Polartec Big Air.

"Before I Go" opens with muted colors topped by Barnett's sensitive rasping vocals, infusing the tune with genuine warmth. Choirlike harmonies give the music a glowing radiance. The pop-flavored alt-rock melody is awash with yearning optimism and poignant lyrics: "I hope I find a peace of mind / In all of my woes / I hope the rain, it brings a light / To my broken soul / I hope I lose myself in the city / But…"

"Before I Go" rides bright hues full of emotions and a sense of imminent greatness, as a new chapter unfolds for the band.

Follow American Authors Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

MUSIC

American Authors Drop 'Seasons' LP

Dazzling pop music with hints of gospel and soul.

Las Cruces Sun-News

American Authors recently dropped Seasons, a 10-track collection of songs blending pop, rock, and hip-hop flavors.

As seasons change, so do cultures and circumstances. On American Authors latest album, the band transforms those cyclical changes into a dynamic musical journey.

Vocalist Zac Barnett explains, "we had to go through all of these experiences and moments of experimentation to reach this body of work, which is the most genuine and pure thing we've ever done. It encompasses every season of our music: the ups, the downs, the highs, the lows, and everything in between. We let go of where we started, fell into the place of writing from the heart, and captured what came out naturally."

Seasons


The entry point on the new album is"Stay Around," a pop-flavored alt-rock tune full of bright synths, echoing guitars, and delicious falsetto. "Say Amen" features Billy Raffoul, whose voice perfectly complements Barnett's. Full of tight gospel textures, the tune exudes intense passion, along with electrifying choir-like harmonies.

"Neighborhood" rides gentle melancholic hues and flows into a smooth iridescent tune emanating poignant, nostalgic surfaces. "Before I Go," a clear standout, opens on a stuttering guitar riff backed by thick, heavy synths. Barnett's rasping tones give the tune incredible sincerity, especially when the radiant gospel-like harmonies enter. Seasons is rife with gleaming colors, captivating melodies, and ineffable vocals supported by burnished harmonies–a stellar album from the veteran rockers.

Follow American Authors Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram


Randy Radicis a Left Coast author and writer. Author of numerous true crime books written under the pen-name of John Lee Brook. Former music contributor at Huff Post.


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