Entertainment

Scooter Braun Says Justin Bieber’s ‘Next steps Are Going To Shock The World’

Published on: April 28, 2014 at 2:50 PM
By Page Mackinley

Scooter Braun announces Justin Bieber’s “next steps are going to shock the world.” The embattled singer’s manager says he is proud of Bieber and insists he is “ready” to “get back up” and move past his missteps. The question is: will the world let him?

Scooter Braun is backing Justin Bieber and says the singer’s “next steps are going to shock the world.”

Despite recent reports claiming the pair are at unsolvable odds, based on a sassy comment Bieber made on Instagram about a recent addition to Braun’s artists roster – UK (and pretty good) boy band Rixton — according to the manager’s Sunday announce, he still believes in a Bieber the rest of the world apparently thinks is long gone.

Taking to Twitter and Instagram yesterday, Braun posted a black and white moment in time shot of Bieber being mobbed by fans outside a Manhattan hotel on Saturday, April 26 — the day the singer arrived in New York City.

( Photo: Instagram .)

Braun’s caption read:

“Jb in nyc this week. The next steps are going to shock the world!! Very proud of him. How we get back up define us as a man. How we handle hardship.”

The 32-year-old added, “He is ready! Plus this pic is amazing.”

Multiple reports are either claiming or speculating that Bieber has hit the Big Apple to shoot for a Calvin Klein campaign , possibly with Kendall Jenner.

The campaign was first teased by Justin on March 25, when he asked his then 50 million (or so) Twitter constituency how they would feel about him modelling for the underwear brand.

Fan reaction was swift, sexually inappropriate, and in the affirmative.

Braun’s plural “steps” possibly suggests the #TeamBieberComeback strategy might involve more than just a new haircut and selling underwear — however stylish. Make no mistake, a successful campaign could do wonders for Bieber’s image rehabilitation, and certainly some quality visuals will help fade the memory of those mug shots.

But, in light of Bieber’s DUI arrest which still hasn’t resolved to a plea deal , recent allegedly damning developments in his house-egging case , an ongoing assault case in Toronto, and civil lawsuits that are proving invasive and damaging; there’s a lot of ground to recover.

Braun didn’t go into details in his announcement about what Bieber’s “steps”might be, and it’s possible it’s hyperbole.

( Photo: Instagram, Calvin Klein tease. )

Speaking to MTV News last July, Braun said of Bieber’s new single “ Heartbreaker ” (which hadn’t yet released), that the pair were “hoping the witch hunt [is] gonna end when he really just speaks for himself in the music.”

It didn’t.

Despite some terrific singles in Bieber’s underselling (by not only his standards but smaller artists) and under-appreciated Journals LP, it didn’t change mainstream and tabloid media’s views of the singer or that part of public opinion the industry influences.

And that was July . The months ahead that would bring the legal challenges Bieber now faces were in the making, or still to come.

Roll on to the run-up of the Christmas Day releasing Jon M. Chu-directed Believe movie, all three core backers — Justin, Scooter and Jon — insisted the documentary would get real and wouldn’t play like an infomercial.

$6,206,566 later, I can still hear Braun telling The Hollywood Reporter , “There’s no fluff.”

( Video: One of the better scenes in the Believe movie that was deleted .)

That said, managers are contracted to wave pom poms for their clients, to make us believe in an artist, so Braun is simply doing his job. But clearly, his team and Bieber need to have all their ducks in a row going forward.

The News recently reported Braun told friends he is finding Justin’s Jacob’s Ladder journey “exhausting,” and it’s certainly true that Braun has always risen to the kid’s defense.

The most recent example: A coldly, tabloid slant on Bieber’s impromptu visit to a Japanese orphanage a day after his Yasukuni war shrine snafu blew up.

The News , Mail Online and a smattering of other outlets unnecessarily belittled Bieber’s visit as”damage control,” despite the singer’s legitimate, five-year record of outreach and charity work that has raised millions .

Bieber posted a video on his Instagram account of his visit, captioned with the words:

“Visited a Japanese orphanage. Love these kids!!”

Braun followed up day later, tweeting,

“Woke up to seeing this video of Jb at an orphanage unannounced. Don’t believe the bs. The kid cares and shows it time and time again. #giveback! Very proud.”

Fast forward to today, Team Bieber is assembling for what sounds like a day climbing one of those steps that may yet shock the world.

Time will tell. But here’s the thing: Whatever one thinks about Bieber, 20-years-old is no age to write off someone’s life for acts committed while a teenager. It’s time to let this young man get through this period of his life without the snark , skewed reports and the rumormongering we all know is a big part of the Bieber news cycle.

If , as Braun says, Justin is “ready” to step into relative maturity; perhaps we are too.

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