Justin Bieber makes 'smart' move to avoid legal scuffle with Scooter Braun

Justin Bieber may have delivered a crowd pleasing, nostalgic Coachella debut but it appears that the pop star made a calculated move to avoid any potential legal friction with former manager Scooter Braun.

The Baby hitmaker marked a full-circle moment at the annual music festival with his throwback songs, including Baby, Never Say Never, With You and many more.

During his set, the pop star surprised the crowd by revisiting his early hits in an unexpected way. Instead of performing full versions live, he played YouTube clips of his older songs, singing along with his younger self.

The creative choice quickly sparked conversation online, with fans trying to decode the reasoning behind the move. Many believe it wasn’t just a stylistic decision but a strategic one.

Bieber’s early catalog is closely tied to his former manager Scooter Braun, who discovered him on YouTube in 2008 and managed him for over 15 years.

Although the pair parted ways in 2023 after what was described as a “long time coming,” Braun’s business ties to the Stay singer’s earlier music have remained a talking point among fans.

This has led to speculation that Bieber’s use of publicly available YouTube clips could be a way to sidestep potential licensing or performance complications tied to his old discography.

Fans were quick to weigh in on social media, with one writing, “Him doing snippets was kinda smart because he has too many bangers.”

Another replied with a different explanation, highlighting, “I feel like he had to do this because Scooter Braun owns all his old discography, right? And playing YouTube videos is publicly accessible?”

While the exact reasoning hasn’t been confirmed, the theory has gained traction, allowing the Grammy winner to acknowledge his past without getting entangled in behind-the-scenes complexities.

By interacting with visuals of his younger self, Bieber, 32, turned the performance into a reflective journey.

The set itself leaned heavily into a celebratory, collaborative vibe as the star of the night brought out a lineup of artists including Dijon, The Kid LAROI, Tems, and Wizkid.