Hate him or love him, Justin Bieber is one of the musical icons of the world now. The 28-year-old is known for genre-melding music and his influence on the modern-day music industry cannot be denied.
Artists are usually expressive people. One of the ways that they express themselves is through tattoos. Justin Bieber also relies on that medium of expression. He often uses tattoos to commemorate certain moments and etch memories into his body for as long as he lives.
As he has a massive fan following and a lot of people look up to him and copy his style, a few of his tattoos have been copied as well. Let us take a closer look at Justin Bieber’s tattoos and what they mean.
First Tattoo
Bieber’s inspiration behind getting tattoos is his father. He said in an interview that he remembered his father holding him as a kid with his arms covered in tattoos. When Bieber turned 16 years old, his father accompanied him to the tattoo parlor and he got a tiny outline of a seagul on his hip.
The seagul was from a fable “Jonathan Livingston Seagull” and most men on his father’s side of the family have the same tattoo.
Crown
One of the first chest tattoos that the singer debuted was that of a crown. Many fans believed that it was a tribute to Michael Jackson, while some believe that it was more so a crown for himself.
Jesus Christ
What started as an innocent family tattoo turned into something more profound with each tattoo. In 2012, he got a massive tattoo of Jesus Christ on his calf. Below it was two hands folded in prayer.
Psalm 119:105
Bieber had always been spiritual, thanks to his mother who was religious. In 2013, he got a tattoo on his back that read “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path”.
Mother’s Year of Birth
Bieber grew up with a single mother. In honor of his mother, he got her birth year tattooed on his left collarbone, in roman numerals.
Eye
His appreciation for his mother did not end with just one tattoo. He also got a huge tattoo of his mother’s eye on his arm to represent that “Mom’s always watching” over him. How cute!
Lion
In 2021, Bieber gave an interview to Vogue where he discussed his tattoos as well. There he discussed the lion tattoo on his chest as well and said “The lion I got done by the tattoo artist Bang Bang, and it represents having a heart of a lion.”
He also added that it meant “Being bold, courageous, strong!’”
Cross
Bieber has always been vocal about his religious belief and identity. One way he expressed this was by getting a big cross tattooed on his chest. He mentioned that it is “a symbol of my faith and a reminder of what Jesus endured to rectify all that was broken.”
Bird
A lot of Bieber’s tattoos are animal or wildlife-inspired. He has a tattoo of a bird on his neck that he loves, he said that he got it from the tattoo artist Dr. Woo.
He said that “It’s a reminder to use the gifts God has given me and give it all I have—to fly above all of the bullshit.”
Rose
A lot of people get a rose tatted on them, but what exactly does it mean to the crooner? The rose he got tatted on his neck is also from Dr. Woo. He said that it “reminds me that even though I’m flawed, beauty shines even through our rough edges.”
He also mentioned in another interview that he was done getting tattoos on his neck and that it was a special request made by his wife.
Bear
Bieber also has a tattoo of a bear on his right chest. To him, it represents “rest”. He also added that “As tough and resilient as a bear is, it always hibernates, which is so important. We as humans go, go, and go without resting and it can leave us exhausted and drained.”
Small Cross
While Bieber has a big cross tattooed in the middle of his chest, he also has a small cross near the corner of his eye. The tattoo artist JonBoy revealed that “It was a representation of his faith in Jesus and his journey with finding purpose in God.”
Treble Clef
Adding to his collection of small tattoos was a treble clef that he got behind his ear. A lot of musicians get a musical note tattooed on them to showcase their love for music.
Bieber’s reasoning might have been similar although he never specifically talked about it.
Forgive
Back in 2014, Bieber was going through a public boycott when he got charged with DUI and was in the middle of other scandals as well. During that time, he got a “forgive” tattooed on his hip.
Whether it was a message to the people watching or to himself is something he never talked about.
Angels Defeating Evil
Bieber planned a big tattoo for his stomach. He commissioned the famous tattoo parlor Bang Bang to do the piece for him, which included skeletons, a cathedral and more. Explaining the tattoo, the Bang Bang artist said that We added two angels, one on each side. Below each one, they’re dominating the evil.”
He further explained, “It’s symbolic of Gothic art and the struggle between the light and dark, the good and the evil, yin and yang. I wanted to make sure we had contrast in subject matter and imagery.”
Chi Symbol
Nestled somewhere in his tattoo-covered arm is the “Chi” symbol, which represents Christ. In an interview with GQ, Bieber said that the X symbol could mean more that that too.
He said that “X” could hold a deeper, more mysterious meaning “‘X’ means unknown. They might know the shell of me or might know the artist but not necessarily me.”
Believe
One of the ways that people use tattoos is to capture a moment forever. Around the release of his album by the same name, Bieber got the word “Believe” tattooed on his arm.
Selena Gomez Tattoo
Back when the couple was the hottest pair in town, Bieber got a small portrait of Gomez on his lower arm. It was believed to be inspired by a magazine photoshoot that she had done. Since their breakup, he had the face altered although he never covered it up completely.
Patience
Back in 2014, Bieber debuted a “Patience” tattoo on the side of his neck. It was done by Ink City Tattoos in Miami, Fl. The tattoo is inked vertically in a gothic-style font. Although he never really spoke about the tattoo, it is pretty self-explanatory.
Wings
Bieber also has a set of wings tattooed on the back of his neck. It was one of the first few tattoos that he got before going all in.
Son of God
In 2016, he got “Son of God” tattooed across his upper abs. Add this to the bunch of Jesus-related tattoos and we have a handful!
Purpose
To commemorate his album by the same name, the Grammy winner got “purpose” tattooed right above his belly button. This was back in 2015. The album was a total game-changer for him and successfully turned a lot of naysayers into fans.
Diamond
The singer also features a diamond on his right wrist. The same artwork was used for his song “Confident” with Chance The Rapper.
Eagle
Right below the “son of God” tattoo, Bieber got a huge eagle tatted on him. This was around the same time when he got the bear tattoo. Rihanna has a similar tattoo on her stomach as well, though not exactly the same thing.
Stratford Culliotons mascot
Justin Bieber had a sweet memory that he shared with his grandfather. To honor this special memory, he got a tattoo of the Canadian junior ice hockey team’s logo on his back.
Owl
One of the first tattoos that he got on his arm was that of an owl. He told GW that it symbolized wisdom.
Boombox
Another big music-related tattoos that the Love Yourself singer got early on was a tattoo of a boombox. It was a simple boombox box tattoo. That tattoo is kind of lost in what is a full sleeve of tattoos now.
Joker
While he was working his way up to a full sleeve of tattoos, Bieber got a joker tattoo on his arm. It seemed like in the same tattoo session, he also got the word “Love” tattooed vertically next to it.
Trust
Just like he got the “Believe” tattoo on one of his arms, he got “Trust” tattooed the same way on his other arm.
Peaches
Bieber might have peaches out in Georgia, but now they can also be found on his neck. He got a small tattoo of a peach tattooed on his neck by Dr. Woo. His wife also has a similar tattoo on her arm.
Grace
The small cross is not the only face tattoo that Bieber has. He also has a small “grace” tattooed above his eyebrows. His wife, Hailey Bieber, also has a similar “style” tattooed somewhere on her body.
Forever
The couple has a few similar tattoos like this one. While Mrs. Bieber has “lover” tatted on her neck, Mr. Bieber got “Forever” on his neck.
Make Em Pay
Some time ago, Bieber released a 10-part documentary on Youtube titled Justin Bieber: Seasons. On the cover picture that he shared on Instagram, fans spotted a tattoo with two crossed guns and “Make Em Pay” tattooed below it.
LL
Just like fans spotted the new gun tattoo, they also spotted “LL” tattooed on his other arm. It is believed to be an acronym for something like lift your head up when you are feeling down.
G
Bieber explained the G tattoo in an Instagram post. He wrote “This is for the strongest couple i know Chad and Julia Veach! Their daughter was born with Lissencephaly. She is incredible and has the sweetest soul. You guys make me better and I’m blessed to have you in my life #Georgia #gtat”.
Castle and a Knight
Bieber has a tattoo of a castle and a knight on his left arm. He also has a massive flower and a large clock that completes the tattoo sleeve.
Better at 70
Bieber debuted this tattoo on Instagram and he shared the layout of it for those who wanted to get it tattooed on them. Explaining the tattoo, he wrote, “I look back at a lot of things in my life, mistakes, insecurities, and although I have felt I’ve wasted a lot of time it also makes me want to be better faster and longer!”
He concluded with “For me personally I want to work everyday to be BETTER AT 70.”
Other Tattoos
As Bieber has been getting tattoos since the age of 16 years, he has a lot of them. Some of the other tattoos include Banksy’s famous Balloon Girl, 8 ball, Boo from Super Mario Brothers, fish scales, a Korean mask, etc. He also has a bleeding globe being crucified on the cross, a graffitied star, a shooting star, and many more.
In an interview, he made it clear that he would never get tattoos on his hands or feet. He said that it was “Something about just being able to wear a suit and not having tattoos on my hands.”
While his hands and feet may be off limits, the rest of his upper body is quite filled up. He is saving the space on his back for his kids as he wants their portraits done there. He shared his love for tattoos and said “Over a hundred hours of art work on my body and I wouldn’t take back a single one.”
The 28-year-old also added that “I absolutely love art and I’ve made my body a canvas and it’s so much fun.” Most of the tattoos that he has gotten over the years are meaningful. They either signify his religious side or commemorate an important moment in his life.
