A shirtless Justin Bieber took to the Grammy Awards stage for the first time since 2022 on Sunday, giving audiences a stripped-down performance of his hit song “Yukon.”
The singer wore only gym shorts and socks as he looped an electric guitar and drum sample, Ed Sheeran-style, and sang over it. The camera frequently cut to his wife, Hailey Bieber, in the crowd during the performance, looking very proud as he performed the song he wrote about her.
Bieber’s performance comes after years of scarce appearances on stage. He popped up last year as a guest during a SZA show in Los Angeles and performed at private events, but has kept a relatively low profile since he called off his tour in 2022. His Grammys appearance serves as a preview of his headlining slot during both Coachella weekends in April.
The pop star made a triumphant return to the music scene last year with a pair of “Swag” albums, the first released as a surprise in July and the second arriving in September. Both records were far more understated than his prior pop fare, yielding the singles “Daisies” and “First Place.”
Bieber racked up four nominations for this year’s Grammys. “Swag” was included in the album of the year and best pop vocal album categories, while “Daises” was honored in best pop solo performance and “Yukon” was nominated in best R&B performance. He has been nominated 23 times in his career and has won two Grammys, first in 2016 for his turn on Jack Ü’s “Where Are Ü Now” and again in 2021 for “10,000 Hours, his duet with Dan + Shay.
In addition to Bieber’s appearance, the Grammys featured performances from Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars, Reba McEntire, Rosé, Tyler, the Creator and a best new artist medley featuring Olivia Dean, Katseye, Sombr, Alex Warren, the Marías, Lola Young, Leon Thomas and Addison Rae.
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