Justin Bieber has expressed his discontent with the music industry, accusing it of treating him as a ‘product’ and is now calling for reform following his own experiences.
The pop sensation shot to fame at 13 after being discovered on YouTube by Scooter Braun. This led to a deal with RGMB, co-managed by Usher and Braun, before Island Records signed him at 14, turning ‘Baby’ into a global hit.
Over the years, Bieber has faced challenges with mental health and substance abuse but has since found stability as a husband to Hailey Bieber, and they have a young son together.
Recently, he has spoken about his journey in the music industry, advocating for a system that is ‘safer and more honest’.
In a post on Instagram, Bieber shared his struggles and credited his Christian faith, quoting psalms and scriptures as vital to overcoming tough times.
He revealed: “I grew up in a system that rewarded my gift but didn’t always protect my soul.
“There were moments I felt used, rushed, shaped into something I didn’t fully choose. That kind of pressure leaves wounds you don’t see on stage. I’ve carried anger, I’ve asked God why.
“But Jesus keeps meeting me in the middle of the pain – not excusing what hurt me but teaching me how not to become bitter.”
Though he acknowledged his past struggles, he emphasized that he is no longer ‘speaking as a victim still bleeding’, but instead as ‘someone restored’.
He continued: “Because I’m healed, I can forgive. Not to pretend injustice didn’t happen, but so it doesn’t keep living through me.
“I don’t want revenge. I want redemption. I don’t want to destroy the industry. I want it transformed.
“What happened to me was real but it doesn’t get the final word. Jesus didn’t help me cope, he restored my identity. I’m not a product. I’m not what the industry demanded. I’m a son.”
Bieber is now speaking out to prevent the same experiences from being perpetuated through himself or others.
“I don’t want to burn the music industry down. I want to see it made new – safer, more honest, more human,’ he stated.
In 2019, he reflected on his early rise to fame: “I went from a 13-year-old boy from a small town to being praised left and right by the world, with millions saying how much they loved me and how great I was.
“You hear these things enough as a young boy and you actually start believing it.”
He also admitted to feeling like a ‘fraud’: “People told me my whole life ‘wow Justin u deserve that’ and I personally have always felt unworthy. Like I was a fraud.”
Bieber has also shared that he is less enthusiastic about touring as it would mean being away from Hailey and his son for extended periods.