Justin Bieber is the latest star to see their touring plans grind to a screeching halt as the world deals with the coronavirus outbreak.
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Moments ago, reps for the singer announced that the entire 45-date trek has been put on ice. A statement read:
“In light of the current public health crisis, and with the deepest concern for all those being affected, Justin Bieber will be postponing all currently scheduled 2020 dates for The Changes Tour. While Justin — along with his band, dancers and crew — has been hard at work preparing an amazing show, he has always put the health and well-being of his fans first and foremost. Justin is anxiously awaiting the opportunity to get back out on the road and perform in a space that is safe for everyone. He asks that fans hold on to their tickets, as they will be honored as soon as the dates are rescheduled. Information on rescheduled dates will be forthcoming soon.”
The news comes in the wake of an initial downsizing of several dates from stadiums to arenas, which at the time was also blamed on the pandemic.
It’s notable that Bieber has asked fans to keep ahold of their tickets.
A smart move on a few fronts.
See, first week sales of new album ‘Changes’ benefitted in earnest from an album/tour-ticket bundle. As such, had the jaunt been scrapped entirely, it’d no doubt leave questions around whether the sales should (or even could) follow-suit and disappear too.
Then there’s the fact that he’s working on new material during quarantine.
It’s no secret that ‘Changes’ wasn’t met with the same positive response as previous projects and, for several, sounded like one long song.
Hence, this window may hand him the chance to pull an Ariana Grande; that is to drop new music with the swiftness and combine eras (ala ‘Sweetener’ and ‘Thank U, Next’). They have the same management, so it’s not far fetched at all.
In any case, what are…