Justin Bieber opened up about pain and healing in a series of emotional Instagram posts shared ahead of Christmas.
On Christmas Eve, the SWAG II singer uploaded two messages, with the first appearing to reflect on his 15-year journey in the music industry. “I grew up in a system that rewarded my gift but didn’t always protect my soul,” he wrote. “There were moments that I felt used, rushed, shaped into something that I didn’t fully choose. That kind of pressure leaves wounds you don’t see on stage.”
He went on to admit that he’s carried “anger,” adding that he’s “been through pain that shaped me before I had the words to name it.”
“I was in a system that took more than it protected,” Bieber continued.
Elsewhere, the singer shared, “I’m not a product. I’m not what the industry demanded. I’m a son.”
The “Yukon” artist also made it clear he has no desire “to burn the music industry down.” Instead, he wrote, “I want to see it made new–safer, more honest, more human.”
In the caption of the post, Bieber described Christmas as a “time to reflect and ask yourself what you really want.”
“What truly fulfills?” he asked.
In a separate post, Bieber reflected on how he “grew up inside a system that took more than it guarded.”
“That pain was real–but it doesn’t define me anymore,” he wrote, adding, “I’m not speaking as a victim still bleeding–I’m speaking as someone restored.”
Still, the holidays weren’t all heavy moments for Bieber. He also shared lighter snapshots spending time with his wife, Hailey Bieber, and their one-year-old son, Jack Blues.
Throughout the year, Bieber has leaned into a more open and vulnerable connection with fans, using Instagram to share his deepest thoughts and unpacking them further with friends during Twitch livestreams.
