Canadian Singer Justin Bieber delivered a power-packed performance at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit in Saudi Arabia in the midst of an ongoing backlash. The Sorry vocalist, on December 5, was one of the many scheduled singers scheduled to perform at the event where the F1 Grand Prix is taking place.
Bieber had been facing immense backlash and calls to cancel his concert in support of the human rights violations happening in Saudi Arabia.
Wifey Hailey Bieber comes in support of Justin Bieber
American model and socialite Hailey Bieber posted videos of Justin Bieber on her Instagram stories wearing a red and white outfit, all pumped up during his performance.
In viral videos, Bieber can be seen performing several songs like Somebody, Hold On, Deserve You, etc. while the crowd can be heard cheering and humming with the singer.
Hatice Cengiz's plea to Bieber
On November 20, Hatice Cengiz, widowed fiancee of deceased journalist Jamal Khashoggi, urged the megastar to cancel his concert in solidarity with the violated human rights of Saudi Arabia.
In an open letter published in news organization Washington Post, Cengiz talked about the "brutal murder" of her fiancee while he was visiting the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.
"...He was going to pick up some documents needed for our upcoming wedding. He was instead murdered inside the consulate by operatives acting on the orders of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman."
She further appealed to Bieber to scrap off his performance at Saudi Arabia's first Grand Prix event.
"Cancel your Dec. 5 performance in Saudi Arabia. This is a unique opportunity to send a powerful message to the world that your name and talent will not be used to restore the reputation of a regime that kills its critics."
Reportedly, Bieber's performance at the event disappointed Cengiz, along with several activists.
International NGO Human Rights Watch also called out Bieber and other performers to cancel their concerts since it would divert everybody's attention from human rights atrocities in the state.
Apart from Bieber, other artists included Jason Derulo, Tiesto, ASAP Rocky, and David Guetta.
This has happened before
This is not the first time an artist has been urged to opt out of their performance at a concert in Saudi Arabia.
American rapper and singer Nicki Minaj canceled her performance in 2019, scheduled to be performed in Jeddah, in a move to support women and LGBTQ rights.