Justin Bieber was overcome with emotion as he described the challenges he has faced during a speech at an album playback event on Thursday.
The singer, who launched his comeback last month with new track Yummy, held a playback of his forthcoming album, his follow-up to 2015's Purpose, at the Village Recorders in Los Angeles.
After being introduced by Def Jam chairman Paul Rosenberg and longtime manager and friend Scooter Braun, the Sorry hitmaker took the mic to introduce his album with a heartfelt speech about the problems he had faced growing up in the industry.
"I don't even think I should be alive never mind thrive," he told the crowd, recalling his battle with depression. "I feel like God's brought me out of a really dark place."
He failed to hold back his tears as he mentioned he had been "hurt by the industry" and "the people" who work in it, without getting specific.
The singer, whose YouTube documentary series premieres on 27 January, also thanked his wife Hailey Bieber, who was in attendance, by saying,"I love you with all my heart ... and I'm so proud of us," and Braun, who he said, "walked with me through a lot of s**t."
He remarked on his emotional state by joking, "I need to get it together!"
The new album has been described as a "futuristic R&B/pop project" by Billboard, with the publication drawing parallels to the star's 2013 record Journals.
A release date for the record has yet to be announced.
