Justin Bieber gave a select group of industry insiders an early listen on Thursday night of his forthcoming new album, notably marking his first full-length release since Purpose way back in 2015.
"Yummy" marketing -related debates aside, it's hard to not be stoked for the possibilities of something new from Bieber, even if that aforementioned lead single leaves much to be desired. After all, when Bieber nails it, he truly nails it, so hopefully there will be some examples of that on the new album.
But I digress. At Thursday's private listening event at Village Recorders in West Los Angeles, Bieber gave an emotional speech in which he thanked Scooter Braun and others for joining him on this journey.
"I don't even think I should be alive, never mind thrive," Bieber told those gathered for the listening session, perVariety. Bieber also discussed growing up in the music industry, being hurt by that industry, and his gratitude to fans and friends for "loving me at my worst."
While addressing his thankfulness for Braun, Bieber is said to have tried "to no avail" to hold back tears. "You walked with me through a lot of shit," he said. Elsewhere, Bieber shouted out wife Hailey, saying "I love you with all my heart." He also made special mentions of collaborator Poo Bear and SB Projects' Allison Kaye, among others.
A release date for the new Bieber album has not been announced, though it's easy to imagine we'll be getting the full thing fairly soon. First up, though, is the premiere of Bieber's YouTube docuseries on Jan. 27.
