"Lonely" Is Justin Bieber's Saddest Song, Ever

Brace yourselves, people. Justin Bieber is highlighting just how straight up bleak child stardom can be in his new video for "Lonely."

"To be honest the song is hard for me to listen to considering how tough it was to get through some of these chapters," Bieber tweeted along with a still of Jacob Tremblay, who portrays Bieber in her early days of fame. "I believe it is powerful to express vulnerability and that’s why I believe this song is so powerful."

"Lonely," produced by Benny Blanco and Finneas, is stripped down save for some simple piano chords and Bieber's aching vocals as he laments the dark side of growing up in the spotlight. Bieber's view on his celebrity feels like a Faustian bargain: "Everybody knows my past now / Like my house was always made of glass / And maybe that's the price you pay / For the money and fame at an early age."

The video is just as heartbreaking as the source material. Tremblay's white fit and purple hoodie bring back Bieber's My World-era uniform as he engages isolated activities like staring at himself blankly in a green room mirror, walking alone backstage, and playing hockey with no one. Tremblay eventually makes it onto the stage to face a nearly-empty audience — he's lonely, remember? — with the sole audience member, a present-day Bieber, watching him with sadness. God, it's so tragic. Listen below.