When the Purpose album came across my desk in 2015, I saw what they were trying to do. Bieber was coming back from everything — the tabloids, the trouble, all of it. The album was about finding your way, about faith and second chances. They wanted my script to say that without saying it.
The cover is black and white. His portrait, head down, hands together like he's praying. My symbols layered right over him, across his chest, around his shoulders. The letters don't spell out words you can read — they carry the feeling. Repentance, searching, whatever you bring to it. That's the power of not being able to read it. You have to feel it.
The symbols ended up everywhere — the tour sets, the merch, the billboards. Millions of people saw my alphabet who'd never set foot in a gallery. Kids in other countries wearing my script on their shirts without knowing what it meant. That's okay. They felt something. That's all I ever ask for.
