impossibility ritualism: Justin Bieber's Concussion Drama Plays Out On TV

Bieber falls hard after crashing into a glass wall in Paris, in part one of NBC special.
By Jocelyn Vena

<a href="http://www.mtv.com/music/artist/bieber_justin/artist.jhtml">Justin Bieber</a> took it "All Around the World" for his <a href="/news/articles/1686091/justin-bieber-nbc-special.jhtml">NBC special</a>, named after the song of the same name. In it, Bieber heads to London, Norway and Paris to spread the gospel of his new album Believe. But before he started promoting the album, fans were treated to footage of him in the recording studio with the likes of pals Big Sean and Drake."I think <a href="/news/articles/1687691/justin-bieber-believe-album-details.jhtml">Believe</a> is so cool. 'Believe' can be used in so many different ways," he said of the album's feel-good title. "Whether you believe in your dreams, believe in yourself."<div class="player-placeholder right" title="Behind The Scenes With Justin Bieber" id="vid:793664" width="415" height="255"></div>Once the studio sessions for the album wrapped, Bieber hit the road for not only a worldwide promotional tour in support of his new music, but also to put on free shows for his fans. First, he's shown in <a href="/news/articles/1686156/justin-bieber-norway-chaos.jhtml">Norway</a>, where fans famously got a bit too excited over his appearance in Oslo. "I guess I'm cool with being a heartthrob," he said. "I'm 18 and having a lot of girls like me isn't a bad thing.""I've never experienced anything like it. I'm experiencing what the Beatles went through, what Michael Jackson went through ... it's crazy," he said of the mayhem that took place.Next up, Bieber and his team headed to London where he encountered a major snag: He got caught in an elevator, and his claustrophobia only amplified the situation. "I nearly just died guys!" he later said to his crew while getting into his car to head to a festival show in London.Kelly Clarkson visited the pop star and joked about being a 30-year-old stalker hounding him for a picture. Later Bieber is seen greeting Katy Perry, whom he hugged and then joked, "We can just do that forever if you want."While there are a lot of fun moments in his life of celebrity, Bieber does open up about sometimes wishing he could have quieter moments to himself. "There's times when I want to go back home and do nothing," he said. "At the end of the day, I feel like I have a responsibility."The big moment in the special came when Bieber made his way to Paris. After serenading crowds of girls with a French version of "One Less Lonely Girl," the infamous concussion incident took center stage.Leading up to the incident, Bieber was seen joking around with singer John Mayer, and everyone was excited for him to perform at the glass-enclosed building, the tallest in Paris.After performing the track "Be Alright" (irony?), Bieber exited the stage and hit a glass wall but decided to continue his performance anyway.Later on, Bieber is seen looking a bit hurt when he fainted walking down the stairs after the incident. An ambulance was called and everyone in his camp looked pretty worried about the star. Fans would later learn that he suffered a <a href="/news/articles/1686227/justin-bieber-paris-concussion.jhtml">concussion</a>.Part one of the special aired Wednesday night on NBC, one day after Bieber officially dropped his album Believe. Part two will air Thursday night (June 21), when the rest of the concussion drama will play out.<div class="player-placeholder right" title="Justin Bieber Lights Up New York Fans" id="vid:793032.id:1687833" width="415" height="255"></div>

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