Was Justin Bieber’s Coachella Set Lazy… or Genius?

Justin Bieber headlined Coachella with a stripped down set that quickly divided the internet.

While other artists had intricate sets, Justin sang on a mostly empty stage with nothing but a laptop. If you thought his set was lazy, 'The New Yorker' critic Vinson Cunnighman says you’re missing the point. 

Vinson joins Sam to talk about Bieberchella, what Justin was trying to convey about fame and loneliness, and asks how authentic do fans really want their pop stars to be? 

Sign up for Sam’s Newsletter to get behind the scenes stuff from every interview each week.

The Sam Sanders Show is a production of KCRW and Sam Sanders Productions.

The Sam Sanders Show from KCRW is your guide to entertainment. Find out what makes your favorite artists tick, dissect the trends that shape our culture, or just make sense of that random meme you can’t stop thinking about. Join us every week to unpack the pop culture we love.

Sign up for Sam’s Newsletter to get behind the scenes stuff from every interview each week.

Sam Sanders is an award-winning podcast and radio host. He’s been named best podcast host by both The Ambies and the iHeart Podcast Awards. He was one of the founding hosts of The NPR Politics Podcast and the host who launched both It’s Been A Minute from NPR and Into It from Vulture.