It’s about that time in Justin Bieber’s career where an image shift is bound to occur. Up until this point, Bieber has been identified by his clean cut, all-smiles persona. And considering his youth and cherubic appearance, the act has worked well for the 18-year-old singer. But eventually, all young, angelic stars just need to cover themselves in blood. The latest issue of Complex magazine portrays Bieber in a light fans haven’t yet seen. A photo shoot for the mag has Bieber enacting a violent boxing match, doling out (and taking) some supreme hits.
Complex spoke to Bieber backstage at the Cannes Film Festival, learning a lot about his professional and personal life. As he told the magazine, the singer is driven to excel at everything he does. “There’s no point in doing this if I’m not going to be the best,” Bieber said. “I give up a personal life. I give up my friends and family to pursue what I love and to make my fans happy. Why would I give up so much to be just another singer? When I release something I want it to be the best. When I release my fragrance, I want it to be the number-one fragrance; I don’t want it to be the ninth-best-selling fragrance. My Christmas album went double-platinum worldwide. Christmas albums don’t do that, and that still wasn’t good enough for me.”
On the hot topic of his love life, Bieber discussed his relationship with actress Selena Gomez. “There’s no way to hide the relationship completely, because then it would be unfair to us,” he stated. “It’s like, ‘You take this car, and I’ll take this car, and then we’ll meet up at the spot. Then, you go in this door, I’ll go in this door. We’ll end up crossing ways. You get back in this car. We’ll cross over, do a James Bond. You go through the kitchen. I’ll go through the back area. Then we’ll meet in the dressing room and see each other.’ At that point, it’s not even a relationship. You’re just hiding from everyone. That’s unfair and unhealthy, man.”
The magazine also spoke to Bieber’s long-time manager, Scooter Braun, who had a lot to say about his relationship with his superstar client. “We made a commitment to each other when he was 13 to be there for each other no matter what,” Scooter shared. “I want him to start being on my level and one of my boys. I want to start treating him like a man. He’s pushing back a little bit more, but I think that’s natural.”
Things are changing for young Bieber. This new boxing campaign indicates that the musician is looking to explore new images and new means of artistic expression. Check out the video of Bieber’s photo shoot below.
Source: Complex
