Justin Bieber has been been on a tear. Then there was the run of hits in 2020 that helped him usher in a new era, including “Holy,” “Lonely,” and “Anyone,” all leading up to his Justice album in early 2021. Despite the fact that both songs were early hits, I prefer the latecomer “Hold On,” with its glitchy, hyperspeed chorus and poignant verses. Then there’s “Peaches,” which features Giveon and Daniel Caesar and was the breakout album hit that rocketed to the top of the charts once the album was released.
Bieber, on the other hand, did not perform any of these songs during his major comeback to the Juno Awards stage this weekend. Instead, he chose a more introspective album cut, the longing “Somebody,” which clearly holds special meaning for the pop sensation and his now-wife, Hailey. The song, like the most of the tracks on Justice, is plainly dedicated to her and their relationship. Bieber returned to the Junos for the first time in eleven years, jumping around while lyrics flickered on screens behind him in a frenzied, high-energy performance. Rocking a new short haircut after fans were a little perturbed by his loc’d hair, Justin looks the healthiest and happiest he has for a while. Looks like finding that special somebody suits him well.
