Pop superstar Justin Bieber has unveiled new single “Lonely”, produced by Benny Blanco (Rihanna, J Balvin, Sia) and FINNEAS.
In the clip, a young boy played by actor Jacob Tremblay (Room) is seated by himself at a backstage styling mirror with a bouquet of roses. It’s assumed the kid is a young 13-year-old Bieber, fresh from signing on with Scooter Braun’s record label, and catching his first glimpses of the superstardom. He eventually makes his way through the venue’s backstage and onto the stage — only to find his future self as the lone audience member.
“To be honest, the finished song is tough for me to listen to, considering how hard it was to get through some of those chapters. Hopefully telling this story will encourage others to vocalize what they are going through,” Bieber said of “Lonely” in a statement. The artist also spoke on the making of the song and video in a series of Instagram posts: “being someone in my position I believe it is powerful to express vulnerability and that’s why I believe this song is so powerful!” He also praised Tremblay’s acting and thanked him for bringing the story to life, adding “it was emotional to see him play me from the outside looking in.”