Justin Bieber has kept a relatively low profile since he won the first-ever Milestone Award — and received a startling amount of boos — at the 2013 Billboard Music Awards last month; on Twitter, he’s described the short sabbatical as “much needed time off.” On Monday night (June 3), however, the pop superstar let his 8.7 million Instagram followers know that no extended break is being taken, and that new music, in the form of a single titled “Heartbreaker,” is on the way.
In four separate Instagram posts, Bieber shared what is presumably the single artwork for “Heartbreaker,” which features a withering purple heart placed front-and-center as a suspicious-looking Cupid gazes on with a cocked arrow in place. The Biebs shared the image with four different captions: “… Coming soon,” “Tell a friend to tell a friend,” “Don’t tell me your my…. #justinbieber #heartbreaker,” and finally, “Heartbreaker #Justinbiebernewsingle.”
A rep for Bieber did not immediately respond to an inquiry about the new single’s release date.
The shared image smacks of Kanye West’s “808s and Heartbreak” album cover, and like that breakup record, the “Heartbreaker” single could be an unflinching look at a recently ended relationship. On Monday, Bieber’s ex, Selena Gomez, announced a new release of her own: her “Stars Dance” album is due out on July 23, and a new single, “Slow Down,” was also unveiled.
Why Was Justin Bieber Booed at the Billboard Music Awards?
Bieber’s last release, “Believe Acoustic,” gave the singer a fifth No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 chart in January and featured an incisive bonus track, “Nothing Like Us,” that alluded to his relationship with Gomez. His last proper full-length, “Believe,” hit stores last June.
Watch Bieber perform “Take You” at the 2013 Billboard Music Awards: