Review of “Lonely” by Justin Bieber

Justin Bieber opened up about how his fame has affected him through his new single, “Lonely.” Through a heart-felt song and a touching music video, Justin Bieber explains to his fans that being famous may seem great, but it can take a toll on your mental health.      Justin Bieber spoke out about his mental health in the past. According to Yahoo Finance, he talked about his struggles with fame in an Instagram post in 2019: “It’s hard to get out of bed in the morning with the right attitude when you are overwhelmed with your life, your past, job, responsibilities, emotions, your family, finances, your relationships.” He continued to say, “I started doing pretty heavy drugs at 19 and abused all of my relationships. I became resentful, disrespectful to women, and angry.” The world watched Bieber go downhill and get himself in trouble, since the media would plaster it all over the news. What made him seem like a troublesome child, many people did not know was actually just what fame had done to his mental health.

Bieber explains in his song how starting his singing career at a young age is what majorly affected him. One of the verses in his new song says: 

“Everybody knows my past now Like my house was always made of glass And maybe that’s the price you pay For the money and fame at an early age And everybody saw me sick And it felt like no one gave a shit They criticized the things I did As an idiot kid”

Becoming famous as a kid did not give Bieber a normal childhood. He did not have time to go to school, play with friends or be on a sports team because he was constantly overwhelmed with his singing career, traveling and singing the same thing over and over again. Most kids’ childhoods were chances for them to make mistakes and learn, but Bieber never was allowed to make mistakes because the public eye was constantly on him and judging him for his actions.

The music video caused Justin Bieber’s audience to feel even more sympathy toward his past. Jacob Tremblay played the role of young Justin Bieber in the music video, wearing his signature white and purple outfit, but the energetic “Baby” singer we all know did not seem so happy as he did in his music videos and concerts. Young Bieber sits in a big dressing room all alone, staring at himself in the mirror, as Justin Bieber sings “Lonely” in the background, almost as if it were young Bieber’s thoughts. Then young Bieber takes a walk down an empty hallway and then walks across a giant stage. Although Bieber is at the center, not a single person is in sight. This goes to explain that even though he was surrounded by millions of fans screaming his name, it felt like he was all alone.

According to Evening Express, Justin Bieber tweeted about how hard it was to open up about his past. 

“I went into the studio and sang through it which wasn’t easy but started to really see the importance of telling this story! It made me realise we all feel lonely at times!”

“Being someone in my position I believe it is powerful to express vulnerability and that’s why I believe this song is so powerful! And @jacobtremblay is so talented. It was emotional to see him play me from the outside looking in.”

The real Bieber was shown in the music video as well. As young Bieber stared out into the empty audience, the present Bieber was sitting in a seat, looking at young Bieber, as he reflected on his past and how much it scarred him.

It took a lot of strength for Justin Bieber to finally open up about what was hurting him for such a long time. Justin Bieber is definitely not the only celebrity that is suffering from feeling “lonely” in fame, and Justin Bieber’s courage may have started a voice to those who are also struggling.

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• song review