Why Justin Bieber’s Fans Might Be Glad He’s Not Going To The Grammys

The 2018 Grammy Awards are on January 28, and this year there’s an impressive lineup of performers, including Bruno Mars and Cardi B with their smooth '90s track “Finesse,” Lady Gaga, SZA, and Kendrick Lamar, who’s opening the show. Daddy Yankee and Luis Fonsi will be taking the stage, too, to perform “Despacito,” but the Biebz won’t be joining them. For the second year in a row, Justin Bieber won’t be attending the Grammy Awards. Last year it was reportedly on principle; this year, it sounds like he’s too busy working.

According to TMZ, Bieber won’t be attending the Grammys, or any other awards show, for that matter, until he’s finished working on his new album. Fans might be excited to hear this since the 23-year-old hasn’t yet officially confirmed that he’s working on new music at all. Us Weekly also reported that Bieber won't be in attendance. (Bustle reached out to a rep for Bieber for comment, but did not receive a response at the time of publication.)

Though he won’t be at the show, Bieber is nominated in three categories this year for “Despacito” — Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, Song of the Year, and Record of the Year. Whatever Bieber is working on, it will be his first album since 2015’s Purpose, so Beliebers shouldn't be too bummed he won't be at Sunday's show. It sounds like they have something to look forward to.

Though he hasn’t confirmed that he’s working on a new album, Bieber has been back in the news lately after a relatively quiet few months that followed a turbulent summer. It seems he and his on-again, off-again, who-knows-what-again relationship with Selena Gomez is... on again? It certainly looks that way, as the two of them were spotted in November doing lots of couple-y activities like riding bikes and going on breakfast dates, and the kicker: Kissing at a hockey game. Gomez, split with Abel Tesfaye, aka The Weeknd, at the end of October 2017 after 10 months of dating.

Before Jelena came back, though, Bieber made headlines over the summer when he inexplicably canceled the last 15 shows of his Purpose tour. Variety reported that after 154 shows around the globe, Bieber canceled the last leg of the tour, which was headed to Asia and then the returning to the U.S. The official statement from Bieber's camp said the cancellation was due to "unforeseen circumstances," and that he "loves his fans and hates to disappoint them." After that vague official statement, Bieber posted a much more emotional explanation on his Instagram a few weeks later, saying that he wanted his "career, mind, heart and soul to be sustainable," and canceled the tour to avoid burning out.

This is the second year in a row that Biebs won’t be attending the Grammys. Last year, he skipped the ceremony, even though he was up for four golden gramophones. A source told TMZ that Bieber skipped because allegedly "he just doesn't think the Grammys are relevant or representative, especially when it comes to young singers.” He wasn’t the only one who reportedly stayed home on principle: Kanye West, Drake, and Frank Ocean didn't attend the 2017 Grammys, either, reportedly because of how they viewed the award show.

Overall, Bieber has been nominated for 10 Grammys in his career, and won in 2016 for Best Dance Recording for "Where Are U Now." He reportedly won't be at the Grammys on Sunday, so if he does win in any of his categories, it looks like Daddy Yankee and Luis Fonsi will be accepting on his behalf. For now, it seems Bieber has a bigger.... purpose, which is seemingly working on new music for his fans.