© Chris Young/The Canadian Press, via Associated Press
It’s been over two years since Justin Bieber released new music, but the pop star just ignited fan excitement with a cryptic video posted to his Instagram story.
The 24-second clip features Bieber bobbing his head to a dark, chopped-and-screwed beat. The camera then zooms in on the singer, obscured in a hoodie, as he nods along to what sounds like a rough demo of a new track.
Bieber’s raspy vocals can be heard delivering stream-of-consciousness lyrics like “B—h I’m takin’ bait/I’m takin’ it/You takin’ bait.” The sparse, acoustic-driven production is a departure from Bieber’s signature pop sound.
While the singer has been largely off the music radar since cancelling his 2022 tour due to health issues, this new snippet suggests he may be gearing up for a new chapter. The video’s runtime of 2:57:04 and accompanying camera/handwriting emojis hint that this could be a preview of an upcoming release.
Bieber’s most recent album was 2021’s Justice. He’s continued to tease new music in recent months, including a surprise appearance with Don Toliver last October. Producer Mk.gee has also revealed that Bieber has been “searching” creatively and open to more experimental sounds.
