• Apr, 05-2022

    How Justin Bieber saved my life

    Thank you for speaking to me in the worst moments of my life.

    I had recently gone through a very difficult breakup with my son’s father.


    I fell into a deep depression, went through inpatient treatment for multiple mental health disorders, and fought the urge to commit suicide more than once.


    I’ve always been the type of person that turns to music during the bad times.


    Thanks to Spotify, I was notified of Justin’s newest album dropping and I thought, “what the hell, why not?”


    So, I listened to it. Every. Single. Song. 


    Some of the songs, I’d already heard -- “Sorry,” “What Do You Mean,” and “Where Are U Now,” among a few others. I liked all of them; they were, as I said earlier, catchy.


    It wasn’t until I heard “Love Yourself” that I realized he was actually singing about some real shit.

    At this point, he had been through it. He had made mistakes in his career and personal life, and it seemed like he was finally trying to get himself back on track.


    I admired him for that.




    But the three songs that spoke to me more than almost any other song to this day? “Mark My Words,” “I’ll Show You,” and my absolute favorite, “Purpose,” which was the title of his album.


    It was these three songs that slowly started bringing me out of my deep depression.


    I listened to them on repeat every day and night.
    The lyrics of “Purpose” felt like they were being spoken directly from my soul. After feeling so weak and hopeless for so long, then hearing this song, it made me realize that I wasn’t alone. 


    In time, I was able to open up about my mental illnesses to my close friends and family members.


    A handful of them didn’t understand, and some didn’t even try to, my father being one of them.


    He had always been a naysayer when it came to mental health, saying “it’s all in your head, there’s no medical or scientific reason for it.”


    Coming from a medical background, I knew he was wrong and tried to move past it.




    Our relationship was strained for a few years, but he has since learned to listen and try to understand how I feel, and why, and he has become one of my strongest supporters.

    Since the release of Justin’s “Purpose” album, I grew to love most of his music, old and new. I followed him on social media, saw the ups and downs of his life that he willingly shared with his fans.


    On March 13th, 2016, I bought last-minute tickets to his Purpose Tour concert in Portland, Oregon. It was one of the most amazing experiences, to say the least.


    When he came out and sang “Purpose,” I cried. He sang it with so much emotion, and I remember watching him sit on the edge of the stage just holding the hands of a few fans in the front row.


    I still remember that concert like it was yesterday.

     
    For those that don’t know, Justin put his career on the back burner for quite a while after that tour -- actually canceling the remaining shows to focus on himself and those close to him.


    He featured in several pieces by other artists and remained active on social media, and got married!


    When I heard that he had finally released a new single on January 3rd of 2020, I was ecstatic. I listened to “Yummy” the day it was released, and I loved it.


    I’m hoping to see him in concert every time he comes to Portland.


    Although I started out as an anti-Bieber Believer, his lyrics pulled me in and spoke to me in a way that not many artists do.




    It was then that I realized any artist can change my mind if they have powerful lyrics. Music has always been a passion of mine, and it always will.


    But artists like Justin Bieber that mend my soul will continue to be my favorites.


    If I ever had the opportunity to meet him, the first thing I would say is “thank you.”


    Thank you for speaking to me in the worst moments of my life.


    Thank you for letting me know I wasn’t alone. And thank you for helping me feel hope when I thought all was lost.


    Truthfully, I don’t know if I would still be here had I not listened to the “Purpose” album on repeat… so thank you, Justin, for saving my life with your music.


    Credit: ASHLEY BEATTY-PERNETTI