Justin Bieber’s Coachella Performance and Financial Decisions
Justin Bieber made a highly anticipated return to the stage at Coachella, but fans were left disappointed with what they described as “the worst in the festival’s history.” The 32-year-old singer was reportedly paid $10 million for his headline slot, but his performance mainly consisted of him singing tracks he had searched on a laptop. Dressed in a hoodie and shorts, Bieber focused on his new songs, playing a quick medley of his classic hits like Baby, Favorite Girl, Beauty and a Beat, Never Say Never, and Confident.
The reason behind his limited performance of older songs has now come to light. Bieber sold his entire music catalog in December 2022 to Blackstone-backed Hipgnosis Songs Capital for over $200 million. This could explain why he heavily focused on his newer material during the show. At the time of the deal, Bieber had released six studio albums, along with numerous singles and collaborations with artists such as Ludacris, Nicki Minaj, and Jaden Smith.
Bieber shot to fame at the age of 15 with the release of his 2010 single, Baby. By last year, he had sold a staggering 150 million records worldwide, solidifying his status as one of the best-selling music artists in history.
In 2025, Bieber released his album Swag and Swag II, featuring tracks like Daisies, Yukon, and All I Can Take. Throughout his career, he has earned between $500 million and $1 billion, but reports suggest he faced financial difficulties before selling his music catalog. TMZ reported that sources claimed Bieber was on the verge of “financial collapse” in 2022, which led him to sell his music rights at the end of the year.
Insiders also claim that his manager, Scooter Braun, advised against selling so early in his career or waiting until January 2023 to take advantage of a tax break. However, Bieber decided to proceed with the sale in December 2022. He remains the youngest artist to ever sell their catalog, and reports indicate that his dire financial situation played a significant role in the decision.
At the time, no representatives for Bieber were available for comment.
Hailey Bieber’s Skincare Line Acquisition
Last year, Justin’s wife, Hailey, announced that she was selling her skincare line, Rhode, in a massive $1 billion deal. The model, who launched the company in June 2022, revealed that her brand was being acquired by E.l.f. Cosmetics. Despite the sale, Hailey will continue as founder, Chief Creative Officer, and Head of Innovation.
Hailey took to Instagram to reflect on the partnership and expressed gratitude for the support received. “When I launched @rhode in 2022, I always had big dreams for the company, and the most important thing to me is to keep bringing rhode to more spaces, places, and faces globally,” she said.
She continued, “So today I am so incredibly excited and proud to announce that we are partnering with e.l.f. Beauty as we step into this next chapter in the world of rhode. I found a like-minded disruptor with a vision to be a different kind of company that believes in big ideas and innovation in the same way that I do and will help us continue to grow the brand.”
A Touching Moment at Coachella
During his Coachella set, Bieber gave a heartfelt shoutout to his wife, Hailey, and their son, Jack. While performing the acoustic song Everything Hallelujah, fans were moved by his lyrics: “Hailey, babe, hallelujah / baby Jack, hallelujah.” The performance was livestreamed, and a fan shared a snippet of the moment on X.
Under red lights and wearing a zip-up sweatshirt, Bieber serenaded his wife, who was in the audience. The couple welcomed their son, Jack Blues Bieber, in August 2024. After naming Hailey, a camera captured her blushing, smiling, and blowing a kiss.
Hailey supported her husband ahead of his performance by posing on Instagram in a thong swimsuit and a baby T-shirt reading “Future Mrs. Bieber.” She also shared a close-up photo of blue basketball shorts with “Bieber” printed in yellow.
This year’s Coachella event has been affectionately called “Bieberchella,” with fans celebrating the Canadian singer’s comeback. Bieber previously canceled his Justice world tour in 2022 due to health reasons. However, last summer, he released his surprise seventh studio album, Swag, to critical acclaim on July 11. It was followed by a deluxe album, Swag II, just weeks later on September 5.
Other Highlights at Coachella
Elsewhere at Coachella, Sabrina Carpenter headlined the festival on night one, impressing fans with four costume changes and a medley of her hit songs Juno, Espresso, and Goodbye. Following the first weekend, viagogo reported that Sabrina generated 23 times more ticket search interest than Justin Bieber.
The Biebers have also leveraged their star power through back-to-back business collaborations. First, the couple launched a co-designed fashion collection under Justin’s latest endeavor, SKYLRK. On April 13, fans will be able to purchase the couple’s collaborative pimple patches via Hailey’s billion-dollar skincare brand, Rhode.
A Record-Breaking Performance
The Yukon hitmaker has made history as the highest-paid Coachella Festival act ever. He surpassed Beyoncé with his eight-figure payout, which totaled more than $10 million. Bieber negotiated directly with Goldenvoice, the festival’s promoter.
“It’s a groundbreaking move for a headliner, and it’s something he built entirely on his own,” a source close to the singer told Rolling Stone last September. “Between headlining Coachella and the success of Swag, it’s clear this is the start of an exciting new era for Justin — one where he’s fully in the driver’s seat,” the person added.
Insiders said his fee surpasses $5 million per weekend. Due to his negotiating skills, Bieber isn’t sharing a cut with an agent, making his profit even more substantial.
Coachella does not disclose how much it pays artists, but speculative reports suggest that past high-earning performers like Bad Bunny and Ariana Grande have collected between $5 million and $8 million.
