Justin Bieber finally opens up about his breakup with Selena, makes us tear up

Say what you will about Justin Bieber, but he’s definitely on the up-and-up. For a while there, we didn’t know what to think —the twenty-one-year-old has done some really questionable things in the past. But the musician has spent the summer doing some major reputation damage control, getting candid about his feelings and introducing us to the “real” Justin Bieber. He even cried at VMAs! Overall, he appears to be a more humble, thoughtful guy, a guy turning a new leaf. A guy we could actually see someone like, say, Selena Gomez dating.

Remember when Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez were a thing? It seems like no one can forget.

Inevitably, the Biebs often gets asked about his love life, and how Ms. Gomez fits into it. And while none of it is our business (what happened between the pop stars is between them, and between them only), we can’t help ourselves but be curious about their relationship and what happened to it. The on again, off again couple has a history so intricate, so exposed and tumultuous, it’s difficult to follow from point A to point B. But in an interview with Complex, he finally opens up about their past and helps us understand how things were. Here’s what he had to say:

And we get that. Many of us have been in my-soul-is-so-intertwined-with-your-soul relationships, and sometimes we lose our sense of self in them. Bieber and Gomez were just teens when they started their very serious relationship —and it looks like they both learned some important things about themselves as people and partners. Bieber continued, stating:

Hold up. “Love is a choice. Love is not a feeling” is one of the wisest, lyric-worthy statements we’ve heard in a long time. Can we just give Bieber some credit for this sage, poetic insight on love? Also, is it perhaps a homage to the New York Times piece, “To Fall in Love With Anyone, Do This,” an article that closely examined whether humans choose to fall in love or not? Maybe.

Bieber also shared what he looks for in a partner, in a relationship —and honestly we can’t believe a 21-year-old is saying these incredibly poignant things about the complexity of love and the feelings humans have for one another.

Guys. Can we just talk about how insightful and heartbreaking those comments are? To recognize not only that a relationship failed, but WHY it failed, is a very adult concept. A concept many of us still haven’t grasped or worked through. It really seems like Justin has really matured a lot in the past year, and we admire that he can speak so eloquently about what he’s learned.

Featured image via Twitter