Justin Bieber stunned viewers at the Grammy Awards when he walked onstage shirtless, wearing only loose boxer-style gym shorts and socks, delivering one of the night’s most talked‑about performances and sparking a wave of confusion and debate online.

The 31-year-old singer took the stage at Los Angeles’ Crypto.com Arena for a stripped-back rendition of his track Yukon, building the song live with looping electric guitar and drum samples. The minimalist setup, paired with his bare-chested look, created an atmosphere that felt more like an intimate rehearsal than a polished awards-show spectacle.

As Bieber sang, cameras repeatedly cut to his wife, Hailey Bieber, seated in the audience. She watched intently, smiling and cheering him on, her reactions quickly circulating on social media. The couple had appeared earlier on the red carpet in coordinated outfits, both wearing “ICE OUT” pins, making his sudden shift to near-loungewear onstage all the more jarring for fans.

This performance marked Bieber’s first full Grammy set in several years, following a period of limited public appearances after he canceled tour dates due to health issues. That context fueled speculation that the unusual wardrobe choice might be symbolic, signaling a desire to strip away the usual pop-star armor and present himself more vulnerably.

Body language expert Judi James, speaking to the Daily Mail, argued that the moment was less about shock value and more about emotional exposure. She pointed to Bieber’s slow walk to the microphone, his hunched shoulders and guarded posture, and his tendency to sing with eyes closed or fixed downward as signs of someone retreating inward rather than playing to the crowd.

James suggested that the boxer shorts and bare torso were not a “body-boasting fashion statement” but a deliberate rejection of glossy performance norms, framing the look as a quiet act of honesty. Bieber, she said, behaved as if the audience barely existed, focusing instead on the music and his own internal state.

Online, reactions were sharply divided. Some viewers praised the performance as raw and authentic, while others dismissed the outfit as confusing or inappropriate for music’s biggest night. Yet amid the chatter, one image stood out: Hailey Bieber, beaming from her seat, seemingly unfazed by the controversy and fully locked in on her husband’s moment.