Justin Bieber Receives Backlash for Cultural Appropriation After Debuting Dreadlocks

Bieber’s getting backlash. Justin Bieber has caused quite the stir on social media after debuting dreadlocks, with many followers calling out the 27-year-old singer for cultural appropriation. The “Peaches” singer, who has been sporting a longer hairstyle for quite some time, recently decided switch up his ‘do in favor of dreadlocks. He took to Instagram on Monday, April 26, to show off his new look, posting two separate photos. In the first post, Bieber had his dreadlocks tied back into pigtails and was wearing a fairly funky outfit consisting of high socks, red shorts, a checkered pink shirt and red sunglasses. Bieber posted his look once again later in the day, sharing a caption less, straight-faced selfie where his dreadlocks were on full display.

The star’s 171 million Instagram followers quickly took notice of the images, with many jumping into the comments section to point out that the hairstyle was a form of cultural appropriation. One fan wrote, “Honey, I love you but this ain’t,” and another chimed in with, “This one could’ve stayed in the drafts.” The outrageous look even had one user asking, “Everything good JB?” Others were more explicit with their dissapproval. “This is cultural appropriation … I know you can do better,” one person writes. Another adds: “J, please educate yourself on cultural appropriation … You shouldn’t be wearing dreads.”