rundown
Justin Bieber wore just boxers and socks during his Grammy Awards performance.
Grammy Executive Producer Ben Winston revealed in an interview with Rolling Stone that the outfit was not planned.
“I don’t think he decided what costume he was going to wear until he got on stage,” Winston said.
At the 2026 Grammy Awards on Sunday, Justin Bieber sang a stripped-down version of his song “Yukon,” from his nominated album Swag. The pop star took to the spotlight carrying a purple guitar as he performed wearing only satin boxers and socks from his brand Skyllk.
Grammys executive producer Ben Winston spoke about Bieber’s wardrobe choice and how it wasn’t planned until the last minute on this week’s episode of the Rolling Stone Music Now podcast. “I don’t think he decided what costume he was going to wear until he got on stage,” Winston said.
The producer shared his impressions of Bieber’s thought process, saying: He’s like, “Maybe I’m going to do this.” I don’t understand. I’ll see how I feel on the day. ”
Winston added that when Bieber agreed to appear, he had no idea what he would sing. He recalled watching Bieber during rehearsals on stage. All performers were given an hour and a half to complete their set.
“Seven minutes into his hour and a half rehearsal,” Winston said. “And he said, ‘How did it look to you? Are you happy?’ And I thought, ‘Oh my God.’ It looked beautiful too. I loved it. ” And he said, “Okay, that’s great.” See you on Sunday! ”
They had Bieber perform the song one more time in front of a cameraman. It took about 15 minutes.
But Winston said the result was incredibly effective, adding, “I think everyone realizes it’s his. It’s dangerous to do that. It’s a very real, raw, open, emotional performance.”
Beyond the intimate performance, Bieber seemed to reveal something else personal on stage. It’s a new tattoo on his back that appears to belong to his wife Hailey Bieber. The tattooed face resembles the model’s photo taken for the cover of “ELLE” published in March 2020. Fans quickly linked the two images on social media.
While Bieber sang, the camera panned to his wife, who looked at him proudly. She also congratulated him after the show as they headed to the afterparty. On her Instagram Story, she shared a photo of them together and wrote, “That’s my baby!”
Learn more about Justin and Hailey Bieber
