“I Was Just A Kid”: Here’s A Detailed Breakdown Of The Justin Bieber, Usher, And Justin Timberlake Lore After JB’s Seemingly Shady Dig At Coachella
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For those of america who grew up with him and his music, Justin Bieber’s headlining shows astatine Coachella were a joyous solemnisation of however acold he’s travel since his tumultuous teen pop-star days. However, 1 precise notable fig from his past seemingly did not get an invitation to the party.
Along with Justin’s erstwhile manager, Scooter Braun, Usher is wide credited with playing a large relation successful JB’s emergence to superstardom successful the precocious 2000s and aboriginal 2010s. As the communicative goes, Scooter was blown distant by Justin’s singing videos connected YouTube, tracked down his mom’s interaction details, and flew the somewhat apprehensive mom-and-son duo from Canada to Atlanta successful 2008, which is wherever they began discussing a imaginable grounds deal.
Around this time, Justin and Scooter had a accidental brushwood with Usher astatine a euphony studio, and then-13-year-old Biebs seized the accidental to impressment the R&B fable with a rendition of his deed song, “U Got It Bad.” (The now-iconic run-in was captured connected camera and inactive lives connected Justin’s YouTube channel. You tin watch it here.)
Later that year, 14-year-old Justin was signed to Usher and Scooter’s associated grounds label, Raymond Braun Media Group. However, Usher wasn’t the lone big-name euphony prima who’d had their oculus connected young JB astatine this clip — enter, Justin Timberlake.
Justin, who antecedently worked with Scooter during his NSYNC days, had besides heard astir JB’s promising talents and was keen to motion the teen singer, too, resulting successful an all-out “bidding war” betwixt JT and Usher.
Usher evidently came retired connected top, and, arsenic you’ll apt remember, helium became a salient fig successful Justin’s interior ellipse arsenic helium navigated his meteoric emergence to fame pursuing the merchandise of his archetypal single, “One Time,” successful 2009.
This brings america to Coachella 2026, where, crossed 2 weekends, JB dedicated a conception of each of his headlining sets to his aged music, singing on with his younger aforesaid connected YouTube. Much to fans’ delight, helium revisited hits similar “Baby,” “Favorite Girl,” “One Less Lonely Girl,” “U Smile,” and “Up,” each from his archetypal 2 albums, My World and My World 2.0. He besides sang on to immoderate of the aged YouTube covers that made him famous, similar his rendition of Ne-Yo’s “So Sick” and Chris Brown’s “With You.”
So, with each the throwbacks, shoutouts, and guest appearances crossed Weekends 1 and 2, determination was interestingly nary notation of Usher astatine all. And immoderate fans deliberation that Justin whitethorn person gone retired of his mode to marque definite his aged mentor was not a portion of the infinitesimal successful immoderate way.
For example, contempt it being 1 of the biggest and astir beloved hits from his aboriginal career, Justin did not sing “Somebody To Love Remix,” which features Usher. He besides omitted the wildly fashionable “U Got It Bad” YouTube screen — the 1 that virtually changed his beingness erstwhile helium performed it for Usher successful 2008.
Fans besides noticed that portion singing “One Time” during his Weekend 2 performance, JB opted not to play the euphony video connected the large screen, arsenic helium did for different aged songs. This was perchance to debar showing Usher’s assorted cameos successful the vid, which centers astir young Justin throwing a enactment astatine Usher’s house.
But the imaginable Usher excavation that galore viewers whitethorn not person noticed came during Weekend 2, erstwhile Justin looked backmost connected his aged YouTube covers and paused to accidental a fewer poignant words astir his child-star find and each that came after.
“I was conscionable a kid who liked to sing, you know? I was a kid, that was each it was,” helium said, looking astatine an representation of his younger aforesaid connected screen. “And past 1 happening turned to another…and present we are. Man, it’s been a chaotic journey, an affectional journey. But, anyways…”
He past played a video of himself arsenic a kid singing “Cry Me A River” by nary different than Justin Timberlake. Before helium clicked play, JB said a fewer pointed words astir the antheral connected the different broadside of the bidding warfare to motion him each those years ago: “I grew up listening to Justin Timberlake… I retrieve this similar it was yesterday.”
Given each the discourse we’ve discussed, I’m definite you tin recognize wherefore this salient JT notation — combined with the wide deficiency of Usher acknowledgment — whitethorn person been a subtle excavation from JB’s side. And if you’re speechmaking this and wondering, ‘OK, but wherefore would Justin beryllium shading Usher?’, let maine to explain.
Over the past fewer years, determination person been renewed conversations astir however Justin was mistreated and exploited by the adults astir him arsenic a kid star. Justin hasn’t explicitly discussed this successful detail; however, he’s talked openly astir his intelligence wellness struggles successful adulthood, describing himself successful 2025 arsenic a “traumatized person.” There’s besides a batch to beryllium said for the information that helium has reportedly chopped ties with everyone that managed him during his highest pop-star years, including Scooter.
As for Justin and Usher, it’s been a portion since either of them has talked publically astir the other. But, fixed the rumored overhaul successful JB’s idiosyncratic and nonrecreational relationships, it’s imaginable determination mightiness beryllium immoderate analyzable feelings betwixt him and his aged mentor.
This full happening besides comes conscionable a fewer weeks aft reports of an alleged “intense altercation” betwixt Justin and Usher astatine an Oscars after-party successful March. Neither creator nor their respective teams person commented connected the reports; however, 1 of Usher’s friends, Da Brat, addressed the story connected his behalf and suggested that it’d each been blown retired of proportion.
“I spoke to Usher, and helium said this is an exaggeration of conversation,” Da Brat said connected The Rickey Smiley Show. “He’s been thing but supportive of plentifulness of issues that Justin Bieber has had passim the years, and y’all tin really cheque the records for each that helium has done. Justin is connected his ain journey, dealing with his ain world that he’s created. Usher wishes him thing but the best, and they person nary hostility towards each other.”
“They are decidedly chill with each other, and they person love, and they enactment each other,” she continued. “They had a conversation. Nobody heard the speech but the 2 of them. People conscionable instrumentality it and twist it and crook it around. But I’m letting you cognize that everything is OK betwixt them and determination is nary hostility.”
As we said, a batch of this is rooted successful speculation, truthful marque of it each what you will. We've reached retired to Usher and JB's reps for comment.
Whatever the case, Bieberchella was perfect, and Justin (Bieber, that is) deserves each the happiness successful the world!!!