How Justin Bieber’s New Year’s Concert at Beverly Hilton came together

Justin Bieber’s New Year’s Eve show was marked by millions of fans, not just because it was available to everyone for a reasonable fee of $ 25 (free for T-Mobile customers) on a night when much of the world remains closed due to relentless coronavirus pandemic, but also because the involvement represented his first show in three years. To top it off, the performance (a collaboration with Moment House and VenewLive) would be held in a secret location and would present a visual show powered by T-Mobile’s 5G technology.

The night did not go entirely smoothly. Login to the VenewLive streaming platform proved problematic for dozens of Beliebers who resorted to social media to complain about problems accessing the show (tweet example: “We don’t even need a ball in New York because Venewlive did it early.”) Although the company previously performed virtual concerts for BTS (“Map of the Soul ON: E”, which attracted 993,000 ticket viewers), Blackpink and AJR, among others, the confusing registration process required by each user delayed the show from starting in at least 30 minutes. In fact, as the clock progressed to 8:30 pm, it looked like production could totally miss the East Coast New Year.

Always a resourceful bunch, Bieber’s devotees found unauthorized streams on YouTube and Twitch, but second-generation screen sharing was a far cry from the multi-camera, 1080-definition webcast on the official platform. Fortunately, VenewLive solved its problems – the site crashed due to “many people trying to validate their tickets at the last minute”, posted on Twitter (where the night started with less than 400 followers) at 8:10 pm PT.

In a statement released on January 1, VenewLive said: “Justin’s presentation start time has been postponed to accommodate unprecedented demand. The extraordinary number of last-minute tickets that were issued and sold had an overall volume and a fee that far exceeded any pay-per-view show we’ve ever seen. This demand has reached more than 1.2 million T-Mobile customers, according to the company.

At 8:45 pm, once “inside” the virtual show, it was finally possible to see the high quality production that entered Bieber’s performance. Most impressive: the multi-camera control that allowed viewers to see additional angles at the back of the stage and above with a crane (see screenshot below).

Staying “inside” meant being outside for friends and family invited to attend the show in person at the Beverly Hilton hotel. The iconic building, opened in 1955 and home to the Golden Globe since 1961, was designed in a V shape by the architect Welton Becket, allowing almost all of its more than 500 rooms to have a balcony and view. The “stage” was actually the roof of the ballroom, which also hosts Clive Davis’s annual pre-Grammy party (it’s going virtual this year, Variety recently reported), and which half of the rooms face.

The spectators were checked in individual rooms with maximum occupancy strictly applied (two or four depending on the size of the room). No one was allowed to interact with other guests in public spaces and the hotel’s services were almost all closed, but T-Mobile generously paid the bill to everyone present to receive a generous offer that included dinner, dessert, wine and champagne. Social media posts suggest that west-facing balconies really were the best places in the house, as they allowed for a full-scale view of lights, lasers, pyrotechnics, fireworks and the display of 150 drones (initials of Bieber, a cross) worn throughout Bieber’s 85-minute set, as well as the intricate choreography of his eight dancers.

The idea of ​​using Beverly Hilton as a venue for the New Year’s show came from Bieber’s management team at SB Projects, in particular Jules Ferree, the company’s head of brand partnerships. Speaking for Variety prior to the main event, she pointed to a longstanding relationship with T-Mobile, Bieber’s tour partner for her 2021 journey (AEG is the promoter of Bieber’s tour and CAA her agent), which made the show possible. “They are very committed to Justin and to us and helped to bring some crazy ideas into practice,” she says. The NYE plan first came out in late fall with the support of Scooter Braun and Allison Kaye from SBP. Their goal, says Ferree: “To create an innovative and exciting way for fans to experience a live stream of Justin that is anchored and differentiated by the look of the place and where we could do this on a scale to reach the largest possible number of people globally. “

While thinking globally, however, they acted locally. Los Angeles is currently ground zero for coronavirus infections and safety was paramount. Ferree says: “We follow all local and industry COVID-19 protocols, making sure that they have all been tested”, in addition to the strict regulations related to accommodation.

By all accounts, Bieber had a personal stake in how the night would and would sound. “Justin worked so hard on this show,” adds Ferree. “He has been extremely involved every day since he started rehearsals, which were in November. He wants to perform and this is a great production. “

In fact, the 21-song set tested Bieber’s energy and vocal chords – after starting the song “Lonely”, Bieber asked to stop so he could drink some water (“I’m literally going to die”, he said the stage) – and pulled many strings from the heart. The song “Holy” was one of those moments, with Bieber declaring his love for his wife Hailey, wherever she goes (Billie Eilish and her brother Finneas, who co-wrote “Lonely”, were also present). For his final number, Bieber debuted a new song, “Anyone”, which officially left at midnight.

From conception to execution, Bieber’s New Year reverence really couldn’t be accomplished anytime other than COVID. Consider: when busy Beverly Hilton is completely empty on New Year’s Eve? “It’s the silver lining, I think,” adds Ferree. “It seemed like the right time to do it. And, to be honest, we all needed something to end the year. “

Setlist:

Around me
excuse
Second emotion
Forever
Boyfriend
baby
I’m the only one / basic
love yourself
All that matters
Where are you now
What do you mean?
Run over
Come around me
Catch me
Tasty
Habitual
pious
Intentions
Monster
Lonely
Anyone