Wagner: The fever over Justin Bieber is not a sickness

With soulful melodies, bumpin’ beats and a swooping haircut that makes tweenage girls go… With soulful melodies, bumpin’ beats and a swooping haircut that makes tweenage girls go crazy, 16-year-old Justin Bieber seems to have taken over the world, and you should respect him for it.

When the Canadian pop-R&B artist got his start singing a Ne-Yo cover on YouTube at the age of 12, there was little indication that future hits like “Baby” and “Somebody to Love” would not only top traditional charts but explode as some of the first milestones in the music industry’s transition to the Internet age.

Despite this success, Bieber has faced waves of immature criticism over everything from his young age to his Twitter account. It needs to stop. Even to this non-fan, Bieber’s worth as a musician transcends the hate directed toward him and puts him in the tradition of other great young artists who sang soulfully while they were still in high school.

When I first heard about Justin Bieber from the various monologue jokes featured by late-night comedians, I had little idea of the social phenomenon of which he was a part.

When I log onto my Twitter account today, I’m hit by an astounding number of Bieber’s thoughts from the road, retweets from rabid fans and promotional blurbs telling me to support his latest single. The whole apparatus seems strange and foreign and perhaps is the origin of some of the scorn directed at Bieber.

The Internet has been seen as the perfect vehicle to connect those with a passion for music to one another. But the change from an underground fan club to a legitimate moneymaking arm of the music industry has made many who are otherwise open-minded wary of what comes from it. But aside from being super plugged-in, which has made him the target of 4chan and other Internet haters, he’s following a musical tradition.

I’m in no way making a direct comparison, but over 40 years ago a family from Gary, Ind., introduced a similar young singing sensation to the world. Bieber’s music isn’t just a direct descendent of the pop-R&B tradition pioneered by Michael Jackson, but his musical celebrity owes a certain something to the legacy imparted upon young performers by the monumental King of Pop.

At 16, Bieber sings songs that fit  with what’s going on in music and also with what’s authentically relatable for all ages. His particular brand of love song might seem cliché to some, but there is something in his universal messages that’s broadly appealing while maintaining a high level of artistry.

With the recent tween boom that has seen everyone from Selena Gomez to those rockin’ Jonas Brothers become best sellers, I’ve wondered if many of these artists who cater particularly to young people would be able to sustain careers without the support of Disney.

Bieber’s star power doesn’t come from his involvement in movies or television but instead it seems to be organically based in how he performs, not just what he performs. During this year’s VMAs he proved himself to be that kind of performer, dancing and singing in a medley of three of his hits before moving to a drum kit and performing a solo on national television that would put most 16-year-old drummers to shame. To put it shortly, the kid’s a great performer.

Though Justin Bieber isn’t going to be playing on my iPod when I need a pick-me-up in the middle of the day, he is going to stay on my Twitter feed. He’s someone who’s doing something right, smack in the middle of pop music. I might not have the Bieber Fever, but if “Runaway Love” comes on, I’m probably not going to turn it off.