Gearing up for the release of his fifth studio album, Changes, Justin Bieber — along with his moustache — made his first Saturday Night Live (SNL) performance in seven years over the weekend.
The 25-year-old was introduced to the show by host RuPaul before performing the upcoming album’s lead single, Yummy, and its latest release, Intentions — which called for a surprise guest appearance from Migos‘ Quavo.
Bieber kicked off his third SNL performance inside a green box that closely resembled his sweatpants. He was accompanied by musicians playing a cello, violin and acoustic guitar, for what seemed to be a stripped-down version of Yummy.
A minute into the performance, the musicians quietly exited the makeshift stage and the song’s signature R&B drum and bass track kicked in. The Sorry singer was then joined by four synchronized backups dancers clad in black outfits.
The lights dimmed in studio 8H of Rockefeller Plaza and a spotlight shot up towards the ceiling of the green cube, casting the animated shadows of Bieber and his dancers.
For Intentions — which was released only one day prior — Bieber’s backdrop utilized colourful, rapidly changing LED lights that occasionally incorporated lyrics from the radio hit.
The London, Ont.-born musician wore sunglasses along with a baggy outfit from his personal clothing line, Drew House.
Once again, he was joined by the same four backup dancers before Quavo, 28, hit the stage to perform his heavily auto-tuned rap verse and the final chorus.
The duo danced around each other as the neon lights that surrounded them flickered aggressively. Bieber and Quavo embraced one another at the end of the performance.
Changes drops worldwide this Friday, Feb. 14: Valentine’s Day.
To support the release of Changes, Bieber will embark on a North American tour this summer — his first since the Purpose world tour, which ran between 2016 and 2017.
The North American leg of the tour includes 45 shows with four Canadian stops:
Sept. 1 — Ottawa, Ont. @ Canadian Tire Centre
Sept. 3 — Quebec City, Que. @ Videotron Centre
Sept. 10 — Toronto, Ont. @ Rogers Centre
Sept. 14 — Montreal, Que. @ Bell Centre
For additional tour dates and further updates, you can visit the official Justin Bieber website.
Yummy and Intentions are now available through all major streaming platforms.