Voices Behind

Zach Sang

Hi Justin Bieber, what's going on, And I feel it an amazing release weekend for you. I gotta say, congratulations on an incredible album and a body of work that feels different yet. So you in the best way. So let's dive in, because I have so many questions, and I look forward to sharing the entire album on the radio with everybody who hangs out with us. We're gonna play the whole thing.

Justin Bieber

It’s exciting. Thank you.

Zach Sang

By the way, top to bottom, it flows beautifully. It tells your story, but it also weaves in what we all are going through. So let's start at the top. Too much. Is it cool that Martin Luther King has a writing credit on one of your records?

Justin Bieber

That is cool. It is cool.

Zach Sang

How did he find his way on to the song?

Justin Bieber

Well, I think for me, in naming this album justice, I wanted to continue what that conversation is, and continue to talk about the injustices that we face as a country, as a globe, and I thought this is one of the most revolutionary voices in human history, who I respect tremendously. And if I could amplify his voice, then that's just something I kind of wanted to do.

Zach Sang

And obviously to get the sign-off from Bernice King. I mean, really an incredible move, and really brings awareness, ultimately, and that's, I mean, it's worth the time.

Justin Bieber

A lot of this young youth, you know, the young generation would, you know, unless, especially, I mean, in Canada, we didn't even really, I didn't learn anything about black history in school. And so, you know, for the young generation who is following me, maybe that isn't educated in, you know, black history can hear Martin Luther King's voice in a place maybe they would have never come across it.

Zach Sang

It’s very special, and it really hits people and puts it on radars that, like you said, yeah, they wouldn't. They may not know otherwise and sure, yeah, it's very special. Thanks for doing that. 

Zach Sang

A lyric in <2 Much> that sticks out to me is “I still relive that second I met”. My biggest blessing is that something that you think about often?

Justin Bieber

I think, sometimes, as challenges come at us in all shapes and sizes. Sometimes it's reflecting on the blessings in our life that get us through those chapters. And so, sometimes it's like, if someone is going through some stuff and I'm dealing with whatever issues I'm dealing with on a day to day, like thinking back to you know, wow, like I prayed for a wife I wanted you know that consistent consistency in my life and here I have this beautiful blessing in my Life that often can just be overlooked because we're just, you know, living together day by day. And, you know, challenges come up and insecurities come up, and you start to kind of take for granted the person that is with you. But if you can remember, like, Hey, I I pray for this moment. I prayed for this person. Here they are. That's kind of what that song is.

Zach Sang

What does it mean to create this art with somebody like that next to you by your side, riding or dying with you? I mean, you bring it up in in, uh, die for you like you, you’re creating in a different head space today. That, I mean, obviously changes reflects that too, but it's different than it was previous. Correct? 

Justin Bieber

Totally, I think, just becoming an adult and realizing what is really important in this life. And you know, if I'm going to continue to do this thing that I'm doing, releasing music and and facing the scrutiny that comes with it, you know, what is my what is my reason? What is my why? Why am I continuously putting myself on the line to be criticized? And you know, there has to be an ultimate goal that far exceeds the painful reality of people's opinions. So I think for me, that is identifying my why, and for this, it was, let me, you know, you know, I have access to go to the studio, and a lot of people right now are losing their jobs, and they don't have, you know, they don't know where their next paycheck is coming from. And here I have this opportunity to go to the studio and make something with this gift that I've been given. You know, I don't have the gift of, you know, I didn't really, I don't have much of an education, so it's like, but I do have one gift, and that's to make music. And so like, if I can use that to bring people some sort of rest and reprieve and, you know, escape from their day to day struggle like that's ultimately what I want to do.

Zach Sang

What does it mean to create this art with somebody like that next to you by your side, riding or dying with you? I mean, you bring it up in in, uh, die for you like you, you’re creating in a different head space today. That, I mean, obviously changes reflects that too, but it's different than it was previous. Correct? 

Justin Bieber

I think, ultimately, like my perception of who, how God views me is, is often like how I stay, you know, full and wanting to continue to, like, push past the, you know, insecurities and the fear that comes along with creating. And you know, like I said before, when you put out a project, you you you know there's people that don't like it, and you know, how do you how do you continue to look for, you know, the positive affirmation and how do you look for, you know, the you know, how do you continue to fight against hatred and against you know, people's opinions, how do you, how do I continue to keep my confidence level up? And I think if I continue to try to please people, you know, I feel like I I end up feeling a little bit discouraged, because, like, ultimately, people, people's opinions are, are kind of, some people are swayed by other people's opinions to where they don't even have an opinion, but if someone else likes it, now they like it. So it's just like people are so fickle. But like, I think as I become closer to, you know, just seeking after who God is, it's it's really allowed me to feel more confident knowing that. Like, you know, I've been posting a lot of things on my Instagram and stuff of like, God is obsessed with us. I just think like, as we, as we, you know, identify. Like, alright, who am I? Why am I valuable? Well, because God says I'm valuable, and, you know, if God says it, that kind of settles it, you know, whether someone else doesn't think so, or whatever it is, God says I'm valuable, the Creator of the heavens and the stars and the moons and the sky and the oceans and the birds and the trees, he says that I'm valuable. He says that I'm worth, you know, fighting for and dying for and and so that remembrance of that daily reminds me okay, whatever this person says or thinks I can I can continue to push past it, because I know you know that I'm here for a reason, like you said, I feel like these gifts that was put in me was for a reason, and I want to be able to use that and not be okay. But just be fall more in love with my Creator.

Zach Sang

Justin, what else do you want to accomplish? Because you have the awards, you've broken, the records, you're married, like, what do you still want to do?

Justin Bieber

I feel like I I always talk about this with the team is like, we're in the people business with making music like, and I think a lot of artists, they have their own whatever their reason or their meaning is behind their stuff. But for me, I want, I want to just be in the people business, and I want to keep connecting with culture. And as long as people want to hear from me, then I want to continue to give them records and content, whatever that looks like. And so like I want to keep evolving with the times, and I want to keep being connected to what people are into and and I just want to continue to grow as an artist and give people what they want, but also make sure that it is connected and makes sense to what I'm going through and that kind of whole thing.

Zach Sang

Final thought, What have you learned from the creation of this album that you feel like you're going to carry with you moving forward? 

Justin Bieber

What have I learned? Well, I have learned that the process, I think, like, this is the first time I've really enjoyed the process of making an album, and I think that stems from just setting proper boundaries and stuff like just making sure that I prioritize certain things like, you know, I have this. How are you not tired of spending your thing? So on my back screen, I have this thing that says intake, imbalance, indecision, integrity, intention, imagination and isolation. I hope you guys got all that.  

So checking off all of those boxes have helped me as an individual, and making sure that I those those things, those things just helped me with my anxiety, to be honest, they helped me not overthink and to just be more prep.