Justin Bieber dropped the latest single off his forthcoming album Justice. ‘Hold On’ comes just two weeks prior to the album release, and officially marks the start of the Justice era.
‘Hold On’ is a Song About Faith
In an interview with NME, Justin said, “The song is just a hopeful record of just holding on; because a lot of us want to give up at times. There’s a lot to look forward to. There’s a lot we can’t control sometimes, but there’s always hope”. Alongside having powerful lyrics in this meaningful song, Justin made a heartbreaking video for it.
The music video features Justin and his fictional significant other, played by Tigertail actress Christine Ko. She fights with a cancer diagnosis and he faces mounting medical expenses. Bieber spends the first half of the video hugging an ailing Ko, rifling through hospital bills. Until he takes matters into his own hands and decides to stick up a little old lady at a bank. A high-speed chase emerges with Bieber on a motorcycle pursued by the police; as he races to hug his hospital-ridden wife.
While the madness ensues, the song’s refrain repeats; “Take my hand and hold on / Tell me everything that you need to say / ’Cause I know how it feels to be someone / Feels to be someone who loses their way.” At the end of the video, Justin manages to make it to the hospital bed of his significant other while escaping the police officers, who, after seeing the situation, stop pointing their guns at him.
Justin Wants to Unite the World in Justice
‘Hold On’ was released a week after Justin announced his new album. “In a time when there’s so much wrong with this broken planet, we all crave healing and justice for humanity,” he said in a press release and on his social media challenges. “In creating this album, my goal is to make music that will provide comfort, to make songs that people can relate to and connect to so they feel less alone. Suffering, injustice, and pain can leave people feeling helpless. Music is a great way of reminding each other that we aren’t alone.”
“Music can be a way to relate to one another and connect with one another,” he added. “I know that I cannot simply solve injustice by making music, but I do know that if we all do our part by using our gifts to serve this planet and each other that we are that much closer to being united. This is me doing a small part. My part. I want to continue the conversation of what justice looks like so we can continue to heal.” While the exact tracklisting is unknown, it’s presumed that Justice will collect his previously released singles ‘Holy,’ ‘Lonely,’ and ‘Anyone.’
