Justin Bieber says 'God is in control' at intimate New York screening of his documentary 'Our World'
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NEW YORK â It was a whirlwind three days for Justin Bieber.
After taking home artist of the year at Sundayâs VMAs and attending Mondayâs Met Gala, the pop star reached new heights Tuesday as he performed on the 100-story-high outdoor deck at Manhattanâs picturesque the Edge at Hudson Yards.
Pacing a small light-up stage against the magnificent city skyline, Bieber sang a brief set including âSomebodyâ and âHold Onâ from latest album âJustice,â released earlier this year. âYâall, gimme a second,â he said mid-show, pausing for a few-minute rest as he sat down with his hat and sunglasses covering his face. He soon returned with a couple more songs, playing keyboard for a truncated version of his No. 1 single âPeachesâ before walking off stage.
The at times uncomfortable performance capped off a big night for the visibly tired but eager-to-please Bieber, 27, who premiered his new concert documentary âOur Worldâ (streaming on Amazon Prime Oct. 8) to an intimate crowd at the swanky venue. The singer was clearly thrilled by the film itself: He stood for much of its 95-minute run time, at times dancing along to his own songs and marching in front of the screen, but mostly just standing with his arms outstretched like Jesus Christ himself.
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âOur Worldâ captures Bieberâs New Yearâs Eve concert last year at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles, performing a tightly choreographed show of past and recent hits to masked fans watching from the hotelâs balconies. The film is light on revelations, primarily featuring members of Bieberâs team discussing his transformation from a troubled teen to âpassionate leaderâ and family-focused husband to his model wife, Hailey Baldwin.
But there are some private moments between Bieber and Baldwin, 24, filmed on his smartphone. The couple chronicle their morning walks and platitude-heavy conversations, which include Bieberâs resolutions for 2021 to "set goals" and "squish out a nugget" (in other words, have a baby).
"By the end of 2021?" Baldwin responds with a laugh.
"Maybe we start trying," he says.
After making out with Baldwin on the red carpet, the all-white-clad Bieber introduced the "Our World" screening alongside director Michael D. Ratner, who lovingly called the silky-voiced crooner his "son." The "Stay" hit-maker thanked his manager, Scooter Braun, and members of his team, as well as "my wife. I love you so much."
"My mom and dad didn't come. They had some more important things to do," Bieber said to some chuckles from the audience. "My comedic timing is off 'cause I've been in quarantine for a while, so I'm still working on my jokes up here.
"Honestly, this movie is really cool for me because I feel like it captures me actually becoming a leader," he continued. "I just learn to trust God more every single day ... knowing that regardless of the circumstance in front of us, God is in control. And I think right now with this pandemic and all of the crazy things that are happening in this world, one thing is for certain and that is we are not in control."