On Friday, Justin Bieber explained the meaning behind his most recent neck tattoo during an episode of his YouTube series, Justin Bieber: Seasons. The symbolism of the rose, situated on the right side of the singer's neck, touches on similar themes expressed in his more recent music and proves to be a very relatable reminder.
"The thorns symbolize the rough spots in my life," Bieber said. "The flower is such a representation of beauty." The juxtaposition of difficult experiences with the beauty of life and new opportunities born out of challenges is a subject Bieber explores frequently in his music. In his newest single "Lonely," he elaborates on how he felt during the times that seem to have inspired the thorns on his tattoo, singing: "Everybody knows my past now / Like my house was always made of glass / And maybe that’s the price you pay / For the money and fame at an early age."
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Bieber has also spoken openly in the past about experiences in his own life and how he has found a new purpose and perspective in recent years, influenced in no small part by his wife, Hailey Bieber. In an interview with Zane Lowe on Apple Music’s Beats 1 in February, Justin said: "I’m freaking married now and I got the best wife in the world. She supports me through so much. I’m really honored to be her husband."
Both Biebers have quite the collection of tattoos. Hailey recently added two new, delicate-line tattoos during a trip to New York City, one of which is a tribute to her husband in the form of a calligraphic "J" etched on her left ring finger. One major difference in the couples' tattoo styles is that Justin seems to prefer much larger pieces, while most of Hailey's are so small that you’d almost miss them if you didn’t know to look.
That said, it sounds like Justin is done with tattoos at the moment, at least where neck pieces are concerned. "That is a Hailey request," he said with a laugh, adding that he's consciously left some real estate for future ink. "My back is still pretty open, and I don’t have kids yet, and so I’m thinking of getting their portraits on my back." Now that we can't wait to see.