Justin Bieber expressed his thoughts on pain and redemption in cathartic Instagram posts ahead of Christmas.
On Christmas Eve, the SWAG II vocalist posted two messages, one seemingly being about his fifteen-year run in the music industry. "I grew up in a system that rewarded my gift but didn't always protect my soul," he wrote in the first post. "There were moments that I felt used, rushed, shaped into something that I didn't fully choose. That kind of pressure leaves wounds you don't see on stage."
After adding that he's carried "anger," Bieber wrote that he's "been through pain that shaped me before I had the words to name it."
"I was in a system that took more than it protected," he continued.
Elsewhere, the singer added, "I'm not a product. I'm not what the industry demanded. I'm a son."
The "Yukon" artist also wrote that he doesn't want "to burn the music industry down." "I want to see it made new–safer, more honest, more human."
In the post's caption, Bieber said Christmas was a "time to reflect and ask yourself what you really want."
"What truly fulfills?" he asked.
In another post, Bieber wrote that he "grew up inside a system that took more than it guarded."
"That pain was real–but it doesn't define me anymore," he continued, adding, "I'm not speaking as a victim still bleeding–I'm speaking as someone restored."
Bieber's holiday wasn't entirely sentimental, as he also shared happier moments with his wife, Hailey Bieber, and their one-year-old son, Jack Blues.
Throughout the year, Bieber has created a more vulnerable space with fans, posting his innermost thoughts on Instagram and discussing them among friends on Twitch livestreams.