BIEBER’S PUZZLING RESURFACING

Justin Beiber's return to the live-performance spotlight by way of a headlining spot at the Fusion Festival this August in Birmingham, England—which boasts a less than scintillating talent lineup including Rixton, Rudimental, DJ Fresh, Fuse ODG and McBusted—led some to question the strategy of manager Scooter Braun when it was announced last week. With Bieber’s career at a pivotal point, what value could this second-rate festival date possibly have?

The situation became even more confusing over the weekend leading up to Comedy Central’s airing of the roast (check out the concluding mea culpa below), when Bieber surprised the crowd at Ariana Grande’s show in Miami Saturday night, singing several songs with the pop diva. The next night, he made another surprise appearance, this time at the Ultra Festival, joining EDM mainstay Skrillex on stage during his set. In this case, however, he was part of a posse of guests, including Diplo, Kiesza, CL and Diddy, who performed their song “Where Are Ü Now.” Were these well-received appearances part of a plan orchestrated by Braun to reintroduce the 21-year-old wayward superstar to a skeptical public, or is the Biebs still winging it? The answer to that intriguing question remains to be seen.