The real reason Justin Bieber is stepping away from music

One of the arguably best qualities of Justin Bieber is honesty. This candor was front and center in March 2019, when he took to Instagram to announce his break from the music biz. Instead of sugarcoating things for the sake of his image, the singer openly admitted that he needs to work on himself before he can tour again. “I am now very focused on repairing some of the deep-rooted issues that I have as most of us have so that I don’t fall apart so that I can sustain my marriage and be the father I want to be,” he told fans. “Music is very important to me but Nothing comes before my family and my health.” So raw, right?

Bieber didn’t elaborate on his issues, but it’s possible he’s dealing with anxiety and depression. “He sees a therapist, but he’s not in a special center or anything,” a source told Us Weekly in February 2019. “He doesn’t want to be dependent on medication. He struggles with ups and downs, anxiety, depression and uncertainty about the future.”

The Canadian crooner admitted to Vogue in 2019 that he was unhappy during his 2016-2017 Purpose tour. “I got really depressed on tour,” he said. “I haven’t talked about this, and I’m still processing so much stuff that I haven’t talked about. I was lonely. I needed some time.”

Here’s to Bieber getting the help he needs.