When the world needed Biebervelli the most, he disappeared. Justin Bieber hasn’t released a full-length album since 2015’s Purpose and outside of a few cameos for DJ Khaled and Poo Bear has remained relatively quiet. In his wake, numerous would-be usurpers tried to climb his gilded pop throne and (mostly) failed. Fortunately, for his well being and unfortunately for his faithful acolytes, he seems to be enjoying wedded bliss and isn’t in a rush to return to the studio. In a new cover story for Vogue, Justin described his prolonged absence from the music industry.
“Just thinking about music stresses me out,” Bieber explained. “I’ve been successful since I was thirteen, so I didn’t really have a chance to find who I was apart from what I did. I just needed some time to evaluate myself: who I am, what I want out of my life, my relationships, who I want to be—stuff that when you’re so immersed in the music business you kind of lose sight of.”
Later in the interview, Bieber shared how his early career shaped his need to distance himself from the pop machine.
“I was real at first and then I was manufactured as, slowly, they just took more and more control,” he continued. “I started really feeling myself too much. People love me, I’m the shit—that’s honestly what I thought. I got very arrogant and cocky. I was wearing sunglasses inside.”