BY all accounts, Justin Bieber has turned over a new leaf.
Just six days ago, on his 23rd birthday, the Biebs announced, via Twitter, his new mantra.
"It's my birthday and all I want is to be a better friend, better brother, better son and better man", he told his 92.1 million followers.
So far so good. The Canadian pop sensation has gone almost a week without controversy. He looked relaxed and friendly with Perth fans after touching down in the early hours of Monday morning.
What his Twitter declaration didn't spell out was whether he had committed to being a better performer.
The US and European legs of the Purpose tour received mixed reviews in 2016, with "lazy" Bieber being chastised for openly lip syncing and looking bored and miserable.
Others proclaimed the tour had revealed a more mature, soulful side to the global superstar.
Last night, a sea of 25,000 Beliebers didn't care either way. They greeted their "misunderstood" pop idol with the expected ear-piercing screams as he emerged in a glass cube at nib Stadium.
Sporting a platinum-blonde crew cut, he hit the stage 35 minutes late for the opening show of the Australian leg of his Purpose World Tour, less than 24 hours after his private jet touched down on the tarmac at Perth Airport.
Dressed in a white jacket and grey hoodie, he kicked off his performance with Mark My Words. By that time, our ear drums were almost bleeding.
Bieber has not played to an Australian audience since the 2013 Believe world tour. Back then, he played a show at Perth Arena and courted controversy at every turn.
But Bieber has graduated to being a stadium performer at the ripe old age of 23, almost a decade after the baby-faced Ontario-born YouTube star released his debut album My World.
It turns out the critics all made valid points. There was definitely lip syncing - you couldn't miss it during the heavy dance moves of What Do You Mean - but there were also soulful moments, in between the screaming, which showcased his live singing voice, reminding everyone why Bieber is still playing to sell-out crowds.
Sometimes he looked like he was going through the motions, mainly in the first half of the show. He was a bit mechanical through Where Are You Now, Get Used To It and I'll Show You, but there were times he genuinely connected to his audience. When he emerged centre stage for Boyfriend, the crowd nearly lost its mind.
Backed by an army of dancers, the 90-minute show kept the fans entertained through every minute. Lasers, fireworks and video montages, along with heavy guitar riffs and drum beats, filled in the moments when Bieber wasn't breaking out the leg-swinging dance moves that have become his trademark.
The acoustic set was a welcome change of pace. He played Cold Water and a much slower version of Love Yourself. It was a little pitchy, but again, nobody seemed to care.
When Bieber removed his hoodie to reveal a singlet and buff tattooed arms for As Long as You Love Me, the ear-splitting adulation was back. He followed it up with a drum solo (who knew Bieber could drum?) which reached an explosive climax when fireworks shot out of every part of the stage on the final beat.
But Bieber really hit his stride 50 minutes into the 90-minute performance amid smoke and mirrors with Let Me Love You, and then launched a sermon-style address to his adoring fans ahead of Life Is Worth Living.
"Anybody in the audience ever feel like not getting up in the morning, like you just want to stay in bed all day?", he asked. "That's me 85 per cent of the time. But I wanna live every moment like it's my last because life is worth living."
Later her urged everyone to turn to the person next to them and remind them how special they are.
"We're all hurting Australia," he said. "We're all human, so let's go through life together and be good to each other."
Bieber fever hasn't worn off yet
After a crowd-pleasing, fireworks-laden rendition of his biggest hit Baby, Bieber turned philosopher once more ahead of the album's tile track Purpose, sitting on the stage and urging everyone to turn off their mobile phones.
"Everybody's got a purpose no matter how young you are or how old, " he said, before reminding his fans that being yourself and making mistakes was the key to growth.
Bieber, it seems, is finally growing up.
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