We were first introduced to Justin Bieber when he was just 13 years old. After being discovered by record executive Scooter Braun, and subsequently brought from Canada to America by Usher, Bieber was signed to the pair’s record label created just for the teenage phenom. Ever since he first sang, “Babyyy, babyyy, babyyy, ooohhh!” in 2010, he’s been a fixture in pop music.
“It was hard for me, being that young and being in the industry and not knowing where to turn,’’ the singer said in a 2024 interview with Zane Lowe.
Bieber also expressed how he feels unworthy of all his accomplishments this year in an Instagram statement he posted in March. And many can’t help but notice how somber he looks in photos, even in pictures with his wife Hailey Bieber.
But a month after that vulnerable Instagram post, he looked overjoyed! Footage of Bieber having a time at Sexyy Red’s birthday party has gone viral, and Black folks online are convinced that he’s happier when he’s around Black people.
In videos Sexyy Red posted on X, JB’s grin is undeniable. Dressed in a big fur coat, the “Somebody to Love” singer looks extremely comfortable as he smiles and dances with the rapper, and fans in her comments were loving it.
“Dat boy JB turnt up,” one fan wrote in the replies of the April 16 video.
“I noticed Justin looks the happiest around Black people...” wrote another user.
The video, which has amassed over 700K, led to creators on TikTok sharing similar observations. Like this one creator who is sure JB just loves to be around the culture.
“I can’t remember the last time I saw that man smile that hard... he looked right at home,” she added.
“He was radiating literally. It was so crazy because other videos he looks so miserable,” one viewer agreed in her comments.
“Release that man he just wants to come home,” another fan joked.
And it’s not the first time the 31-year-old has seemed so “at home” when around Black people. One TikTok creator claimed that his 2013 album, “Journals,” was the album he created just for Black people. The compilation album, which featured appearances from Chance the Rapper, Lil Wayne, Future, and Big Sean, became a fan favorite with R&B lovers who said he was in his “light-skin bag” when he made it. On the album, Bieber mostly sings about romantic relationships, heartbreak, and forgiveness.
The creator goes on to say that, “Every time I’ve seen Justin Bieber around white people he’s mad. Just like the paparazzi he’s like, ‘Get on, get your stuff, get on!’ ”
“Remember when his car broke down in Compton or something he had so much fun lol,” one viewer wrote. The comment was in reference to when Bieber’s car stalled in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles, and the singer spent his time hanging out with the locals of the area.
If that wasn’t enough, he also posed for a flick with Sukihana.
Remember, the father of one is also close with Usher. He even referred to the “U Remind Me” singer as his “brother” in a 2024 Instagram post, in praise of Usher’s Super Bowl LVIII performance. Their performance at the 2011 Grammy’s showed their bond as the pair shared the stage and sang Usher’s hit song “OMG” together. And they reunited in a 2021 studio session which was filmed on Instagram Live.
The footage of Bieber at Sexyy Red’s birthday has made fans feel better about Bieber, and his mental and emotional state. It has also made one thing clear, just like Black folks after going through hard times, JB still knows how to get down.