Justin Bieber has come a long way from his 2009 breakout EP, My World. The past 13 years have seen many hits and hairstyles, and 2020 was no different. On September 18 that year, the Canadian singer released Holy, the lead single off Bieber’s sixth studio album, Justice (2021). The artist talks about love, faith, and holiness in the song. Regarding this, in recent years, Justin Bieber has become more and more open about his religious beliefs.

At the beginning of the music video, viewers get a brief view of a Jesus on the Cross figure on one of the motel walls. The overall video deals with many religious themes throughout, clearly an essential topic for Bieber. After Justin released Holy, many people, including those in the Christian community, assumed it would be a religious song. However, the song wasn’t entirely about Jesus. Since then, there has been a controversy with the lead single between people saying it is Christian and people saying it is not. Here is the true meaning behind Justin Bieber’s Holy.

The True Meaning Behind Justin Bieber’s ‘Holy’

Some fans think Holy is partially about God, while others believe it is about Justin Bieber’s wife, Hailey Baldwin. However, internet users agree that is about both of them. Here is why: This is not a new thing in music. A great example of it it’s All I Need Is You by Lecrae, in which the first verse is about his relationship with God and how he needed him, and the second verse is about his wife and how he needs her. In Justin’s case, it seems like the first verse and chorus are directed toward God. Meanwhile, the second verse and second chorus are directed towards his wife along with the bridge. The final chorus is a mix of both.

The song starts with the lyrics, “I hear a lot about sinners / Don’t think that I’ll be a saint / But I might go down to the river.” The river brings up the idea of baptism, something that’s strong in the Christian faith. Bieber could be referring to God with the line “the sky opens up when we touch.” Perhaps the singer wanted to express how close he feels to Jesus when praying. The same goes with the chorus, which seems to say that the way Jesus holds him feels very holy.

In Holy, Bieber uses a lot of church vocabulary, which is why many people think it’s a Christian song. On the other hand, when Justin sings, “I don’t believe in nirvana / But the way that we love in the night gave me life / Baby, I can’t explain,” the line is clearly for Hailey. After this verse, the song focuses on God again. Especially in the part that says, “Runnin’ to the altar like a track star / Can’t wait another second.” The altar can be seen as going to pray or as the first time being saved by Jesus. There are a lot of times in church when the priest says, “come to the altar,” so that analogy makes sense.

Curious Facts About Justin Bieber’s ‘Holy’ Music Video

Halfway into the video, Chance the Rapper shows up to give one catchy performance. In his appearance, Chance rocks a cap with the number 3, which he said was a reference to his third musical project. Speaking of Chance the Rapper, the artist throws out a lot of names during his part of the song. He gives a shoutout to soccer player Lionel Messi, actor Joe Pesci, and TV character Oscar Proud from the Disney animated series The Proud Family.

On the other hand, fans of That 70s Show may have been surprised to see one of the show’s favorite characters, Fez, in Bieber’s video. Wilmer Valderrama, who played the lovable and slightly naive Fez for eight years, plays an Army man who saves Bieber and his wife from a night of hunger.

Another curious fact is that Bieber gives a nod to the ongoing pandemic global situation in the music video when the supervisor of Bieber’s oil worker character shuts down his plant in response to the virus. Though a sad moment in the video, it brings him and his on-screen wife even closer together.

Justin Bieber Canceled Dates For His World Tour Due To Health Issues

Justin Bieber revealed some very alarming news, and that is that half of his face is paralyzed. This news came to be once Justin postponed his Justice World Tour, which was eventually canceled. Some fans were upset. Bieber announced he was postponing three upcoming performances due to a non-COVID-related illness. He wrote, “Can’t believe I’m saying this. I’ve done everything to get better, but my sickness is getting worse. My heart breaks that I will have to postpone these next few shows (doctors orders). To all my people, I love you so much, and I’m gonna rest and get better.”

But some fans persisted and slighted him, which prompted him to make a video statement revealing that he’s suffering from Ramsay Hunt syndrome, which affects a facial nerve near the ear. The syndrome is treatable but can cause possible damage. Fans hope the singer gets better soon.