# Justin Bieber: Seasons
**Justin Bieber: Seasons** is a ten-part documentary series that follows the Canadian pop singer [Justin Bieber](https://www.edgepedia.org/justin-bieber) as he returns to music after a hiatus, recording his fifth studio album *[Changes](https://www.edgepedia.org/changes-justin-bieber-album)* while reflecting on his life, marriage, health struggles, and career in the public eye. It premiered on YouTube Originals on January 27, 2020, as his first docuseries on the platform where he was discovered as a teenager.
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Format | 10-episode documentary series; each episode roughly ten minutes[1](https://www.universalmusic.ca/2019/12/31/justin-bieber-returns-to-the-spotlight-with-new-youtube-original-series-justin-bieber-seasons/) • [2](https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/justin-biebers-seasons-and-the-promise-of-the-celebrity-tell-all) |
| Premiere | January 27, 2020, at 12:00 p.m. ET / 9:00 a.m. PT on YouTube Originals; new episodes each Monday and Wednesday[1](https://www.universalmusic.ca/2019/12/31/justin-bieber-returns-to-the-spotlight-with-new-youtube-original-series-justin-bieber-seasons/) |
| Subject | Making of *Changes*, Bieber's first album in four years, and his return to music amid personal struggles[1](https://www.universalmusic.ca/2019/12/31/justin-bieber-returns-to-the-spotlight-with-new-youtube-original-series-justin-bieber-seasons/) • [3](https://www.obbmedia.com/projects/justin-bieber-seasons) |
| Director and producers | Directed and executive produced by Michael D. Ratner (OBB Pictures); produced by Bieber Time Films, SB Projects, and OBB Pictures[1](https://www.universalmusic.ca/2019/12/31/justin-bieber-returns-to-the-spotlight-with-new-youtube-original-series-justin-bieber-seasons/) |
| Cost | Reported at upwards of $20 million, roughly $2 million per episode[4](https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/justin-bieber-youtube-docuseries-seasons-review/) • [5](https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/justin-bieber-docuseries-youtube-record-231525448.html) |
| Viewership | 33 million views in the first seven days, a record for the most-viewed YouTube Originals premiere[6](https://www.vogue.com/article/justin-bieber-next-chapter-documentary-director-interview) • [7](https://www.imdb.com/news/ni62774142/) |
| Reception | 57% on the Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer (3 reviews); criticized by Pitchfork as "redemption propaganda"[8](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/justin_bieber_seasons/s01) • [4](https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/justin-bieber-youtube-docuseries-seasons-review/) |
## Spoilers
### Content and episodes
The series chronicled the making of *Changes*, Bieber's first album in four years, following 2015's *[Purpose](https://www.edgepedia.org/purpose-justin-bieber-album)*. It featured behind-the-scenes footage of his private life, including never-before-seen footage of his wedding to [Hailey Bieber](https://www.edgepedia.org/hailey-bieber) (née Baldwin), and was told through the perspectives of his closest confidants, friends, collaborators, and Bieber himself.[1](https://www.universalmusic.ca/2019/12/31/justin-bieber-returns-to-the-spotlight-with-new-youtube-original-series-justin-bieber-seasons/) New music scored the episodes.[1](https://www.universalmusic.ca/2019/12/31/justin-bieber-returns-to-the-spotlight-with-new-youtube-original-series-justin-bieber-seasons/)
The first four episodes covered his retreat from music, his return, studio work on the album, and his relationship with Hailey Bieber, whom he married suddenly in 2018 after canceling the final fourteen dates of his sixteen-month *Purpose* world tour in 2017.[4](https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/justin-bieber-youtube-docuseries-seasons-review/) • [2](https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/justin-biebers-seasons-and-the-promise-of-the-celebrity-tell-all) Episodes five through eight turned more personal: episode five, "The Dark Season," addressed Bieber's history with drug use and mental health for the first time publicly, his diagnosis with [Lyme disease](https://www.edgepedia.org/lyme-disease) and Epstein-Barr, and the steps he took toward recovery; episodes seven and eight covered wedding planning and the ceremony.[11](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uz2-nYKCFIo) • [4](https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/justin-bieber-youtube-docuseries-seasons-review/) Bieber said he first tried drugs at age 13 and that his use developed into an addiction, with dark moments that convinced him to quit for good.[11](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uz2-nYKCFIo) • [12](https://as.com/us/us/2020/02/05/tikitakas/1580922749_726174.html) Episode six featured a getaway by Bieber and Hailey to Utah's Amangiri resort to reset before the album release.[13](https://thetvdb.com/series/justin-bieber-seasons/allseasons/official) The final two episodes, released after the album rollout had begun, caught up in real time to the release of *Changes* on February 14, 2020, and to his planned 45-city tour that summer.[13](https://thetvdb.com/series/justin-bieber-seasons/allseasons/official) • [14](https://unvis.it/variety.com/2020/digital/news/justin-bieber-seasons-youtube-viewing-record-1203493727)
## Background and announcement
Bieber announced the series on December 31, 2019, when YouTube Originals partnered with him on what was billed as his first-ever docuseries, a "10-Part Documentary Event." The announcement noted that the series would bring him back to YouTube, where his career began when he was discovered there in 2008 by the talent manager [Scooter Braun](https://www.edgepedia.org/scooter-braun).[1](https://www.universalmusic.ca/2019/12/31/justin-bieber-returns-to-the-spotlight-with-new-youtube-original-series-justin-bieber-seasons/) • [2](https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/justin-biebers-seasons-and-the-promise-of-the-celebrity-tell-all) A trailer was shared on [New Year's Eve](https://www.edgepedia.org/new-years-eve), alongside the announcement of the single "[Yummy](https://www.edgepedia.org/yummy-justin-bieber-song)," due January 3, 2020, and a forthcoming album.[9](https://www.thefader.com/2020/01/02/justin-bieber-youtube-series-justin-bieber-seasons) • [10](https://www.etonline.com/justin-bieber-gets-candid-about-ups-and-downs-and-new-music-in-first-trailer-for-youtube-series)
The series arrived as part of a broader change in YouTube's programming strategy: for the first time, YouTube's audience of 2 billion logged-in monthly users could watch new Originals series and specials, including *Seasons*, free with ads, while [YouTube Premium](https://www.edgepedia.org/youtube-premium) subscribers got early, ad-free access.[1](https://www.universalmusic.ca/2019/12/31/justin-bieber-returns-to-the-spotlight-with-new-youtube-original-series-justin-bieber-seasons/) Bieber, at the time of the announcement, was described as the most subscribed artist on YouTube with 47.8 million subscribers.[1](https://www.universalmusic.ca/2019/12/31/justin-bieber-returns-to-the-spotlight-with-new-youtube-original-series-justin-bieber-seasons/)
## Production and cost
The series was directed and executive produced by Michael D. Ratner of OBB Pictures, with additional episodes directed by photographer Joe Termini. Producers included Bieber Time Films, SB Projects, and OBB Pictures, with Bieber himself serving as an executive producer alongside Scooter Braun, Allison Kaye, Scott Manson, Scott Ratner, and Kfir Goldberg.[1](https://www.universalmusic.ca/2019/12/31/justin-bieber-returns-to-the-spotlight-with-new-youtube-original-series-justin-bieber-seasons/) The Pitchfork review noted sponsorship by [Calvin Klein](https://www.edgepedia.org/calvin-klein).[4](https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/justin-bieber-youtube-docuseries-seasons-review/)
Variety reported that YouTube paid upwards of $20 million for the docuseries, roughly $2 million per ten-minute episode, a record deal for the platform; competing offers were part of what drove the price up. By comparison, [Billie Eilish](https://www.edgepedia.org/billie-eilish)'s doc deal with Apple was reported at north of $25 million and Beyoncé's Netflix deal in the $30 million range.[4](https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/justin-bieber-youtube-docuseries-seasons-review/) • [5](https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/justin-bieber-docuseries-youtube-record-231525448.html)
## Reception
The premiere broke records for YouTube Originals: it drew 33 million views in its first seven days, beating the previous debut record held by "Liza on Demand" Season 2 (25.4 million) and the first episode of "Cobra Kai" Season 2 (21 million) over comparable periods.[6](https://www.vogue.com/article/justin-bieber-next-chapter-documentary-director-interview) • [7](https://www.imdb.com/news/ni62774142/) As of 2025, the series had accumulated almost half a billion total views according to OBB Media.[3](https://www.obbmedia.com/projects/justin-bieber-seasons)
Critical reception was mixed. On Rotten Tomatoes the season held a 57% Tomatometer score from three reviews, with reviewers describing it as primarily a fan-facing update on Bieber's progress.[8](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/justin_bieber_seasons/s01) [The New Yorker](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-new-yorker)'s Naomi Fry wrote that the series carried the pressure of offering answers to fans' lingering questions, and sensed that answers were given as perfunctorily as possible, calling it a "proof of life of an exceedingly fragile individual."[2](https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/justin-biebers-seasons-and-the-promise-of-the-celebrity-tell-all) Pitchfork's Sheldon Pearce called the series "redemption propaganda," writing that it glossed over formative experiences and controversies, reduced his arrests and escapades to montages, and avoided meaningful reckoning with his past, though the review acknowledged his recovery efforts were not to be taken lightly.[4](https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/justin-bieber-youtube-docuseries-seasons-review/) Others noted the series aired on the platform where Bieber's career began, with each episode running around ten minutes, echoing the immediacy of his early amateur uploads.[2](https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/justin-biebers-seasons-and-the-promise-of-the-celebrity-tell-all)
## Follow-up
A follow-up special, *Justin Bieber: Next Chapter*, a 30-minute continuation directed by Ratner and again featuring Bieber as executive producer, was released on YouTube Originals on October 30, 2020, offering an update on the last eight months of his life during the COVID-19 pandemic.[6](https://www.vogue.com/article/justin-bieber-next-chapter-documentary-director-interview) • [15](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUcLuQ17UV8)
## References
1. [Universal Music Canada – Justin Bieber Returns to the Spotlight with New YouTube Original Series "Justin Bieber: Seasons"](https://www.universalmusic.ca/2019/12/31/justin-bieber-returns-to-the-spotlight-with-new-youtube-original-series-justin-bieber-seasons/)
2. [Naomi Fry, "Justin Bieber's 'Seasons,' and the Promise of the Celebrity Tell-All," The New Yorker](https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/justin-biebers-seasons-and-the-promise-of-the-celebrity-tell-all)
3. [OBB Media – Justin Bieber: Seasons](https://www.obbmedia.com/projects/justin-bieber-seasons)
4. [Sheldon Pearce, "Justin Bieber's YouTube Docuseries Is Redemption Propaganda," Pitchfork](https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/justin-bieber-youtube-docuseries-seasons-review/)
5. ["Justin Bieber Docuseries Is a YouTube Record at $20 Million-Plus Deal," Variety via Yahoo](https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/justin-bieber-docuseries-youtube-record-231525448.html)
6. ["The New Justin Bieber Documentary Series Is His Most Intimate Yet," Vogue](https://www.vogue.com/article/justin-bieber-next-chapter-documentary-director-interview)
7. ["Justin Bieber's 'Seasons' Docuseries Sets YouTube Originals Viewing Record," IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/news/ni62774142/)
8. [Rotten Tomatoes – Justin Bieber: Seasons, Season 1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/justin_bieber_seasons/s01)
9. [The FADER, "Justin Bieber announces YouTube series Justin Bieber: Seasons"](https://www.thefader.com/2020/01/02/justin-bieber-youtube-series-justin-bieber-seasons)
10. [Entertainment Tonight, "Justin Bieber's New YouTube Series 'Seasons': Watch the First Trailer"](https://www.etonline.com/justin-bieber-gets-candid-about-ups-and-downs-and-new-music-in-first-trailer-for-youtube-series)
11. ["The Dark Season – Justin Bieber: Seasons," official YouTube episode description](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uz2-nYKCFIo)
12. [AS.com, "Justin Bieber revela que estuvo a punto de morir por las drogas"](https://as.com/us/us/2020/02/05/tikitakas/1580922749_726174.html)
13. [TheTVDB – Justin Bieber: Seasons, All Seasons](https://thetvdb.com/series/justin-bieber-seasons/allseasons/official)
14. [Variety, "Justin Bieber's 'Seasons' Docuseries Sets YouTube Originals Viewing Record"](https://unvis.it/variety.com/2020/digital/news/justin-bieber-seasons-youtube-viewing-record-1203493727)
15. ["Justin Bieber: Next Chapter | A Special Documentary Event," official YouTube upload](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUcLuQ17UV8)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Series and fictional screen worlds › Unscripted, reality, and web-native series › Celebrity, family, lifestyle, and court reality series › Lifestyle, dating, and docusoaps › Celebrity and family docusoaps › Premiered 2019 to 2026*
*Initially written Oct 3, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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