An emotional night. Justin Bieber teared up while reflecting on his battle with depression at a listening party for his as-yet-untitled fifth studio album on Thursday, January 23.
“I don’t even think I should be alive never mind thrive,” the “Love Yourself” singer, 25, told a crowd of approximately 200 people at The Village recording studio in Los Angeles, per Variety and Billboard. “I feel like God’s brought me out of a really dark place.”
Bieber then took a moment to thank his longtime manager, Scooter Braun, for his undying support.
“You walked me through a lot of s–t,” he said with tears in his eyes before smiling and joking, “I need to get it together!”
Braun, 38, was not the only member of the Grammy winner’s team who received praise at the event. Bieber also gave shout-outs to SB Projects president Allison Kaye, songwriter Jason “Poo Bear” Boyd and photographer Alfredo Flores, who works with Ariana Grande too.
“Even though you’re on the road cheating on me with Ariana Grande, that’s fine,” the Stratford, Ontario, native said with a laugh. “I’m just so grateful.”
Of course, Bieber could not go without thanking his wife, Hailey Bieber (née Baldwin), who makes several appearances in his upcoming YouTube docuseries, Justin Bieber: Seasons.
“I love you with all my heart,” he told the model, 23, whom he married in 2018. “I’m so proud of us.”
Billboard described the entertainer’s upcoming album as “futuristic R&B/pop,” likening it to the sound of his 2013 digital-only project, Journals. It also has “a thematic focus on the healing powers of love and marriage,” according to the magazine.
Justin announced his musical comeback on December 24, saying in a YouTube video that his new album will be followed by a massive concert tour with stops at arenas and stadiums across the U.S. and Canada. He subsequently released the record’s lead single, “Yummy.”
The tour will be Justin’s first since 2017, when he canceled the last 14 dates of his Purpose-supporting trek due to depression and anxiety.
“I’m still processing so much stuff that I haven’t talked about,” he admitted in a 2019 interview with Vogue. “I was lonely. I needed some time.”
