Justin Bieber has come a long way since appearing on the pop music stage over a decade and a half ago. The Canadian singer has evolved into a brooding musician experimenting with R&B and soul sounds. This transition was in the spotlight at the 2026 Grammy Awards, when Bieber took the stage for a solo performance of “Yukon.”
Wearing only boxers and socks, his many tattoos complemented the image of a vulnerable yet defiant performer. Armed with a 1988 Yamaha electric guitar, Bieber let the music shine through, devoting the first minute of his televised performance to playing, looping, and layering the intro of the song, aided by a handful of pedals.
All the while, his wife, Hailey Bieber, looked on lovingly. This turned the scene into a full circle moment, as it has been speculated that the lyrics touch on their shared memories and his unrelenting devotion to her. “What would I do if I didn’t love you, baby?” Bieber repeats several times throughout the song.
Pop music critic Jon Caramanica commended the performance, saying it forced reflection on the many facets of fame. “About how Bieber has been perceived and pilloried, about how celebrity tends to extinguish the brightness from the eyes of its most promising young charges, about how by the time a spotlight like the Grammys stage arrives, there’s little room for error, or humanity,” Caramanica wrote for The New York Times.
Bieber, was nominated for four Grammy Awards at the 2026 Grammys: Album Of The Year, Best Pop Solo Performance, Best Pop Vocal Album, and Best R&B Performance. Though he walked away empty handed, his performance was regarded as an unexpected highlight of the evening, serving as a counterweight to the higher production performances, like those of Sabrina Carpenter and Tyler, the Creator.
You can watch Justin Bieber’s performance at the Grammys below.
Justin Bieber took the stage at the Grammy Awards for a solo performance of “Yukon,” one of the most talked-about moments of the night.
Justin Bieber: Website | YouTube
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