Justin Bieber and Ed Sheeran's New Song Is for Anyone Who Has Anxiety (2024)

• On May 9, Justin Bieber and Ed Sheeran released their highly-anticipated new single "I Don't Care."
• The meaning of the song's lyrics is a candid look at each of their struggles with anxiety—plus an ode to partners Hailey Bieber and Cherry Seaborn.

"I don't like nobody but you, I hate everyone here." It was that simple line that instantly made introverts like me feel like Justin Bieber and Ed Sheeran's new song, "I Don't Care," is officially the most relatable song of 2019.

Now, while at first glance those words might seem a little...harsh, when you give a listen to the deeper meaning behind the lyrics of the song, Bieber and Sheeran's words seem to be an ode to all the socially anxious, introverted, and slightly awkward people of the world.

After first collaborating for their 2015 single "Love Yourself," the two artists have joined forces again for what's sure to be another Top 40 hit. It's both catchy and comes with a message. This marks Sheeran's first new record since his 2017 album "÷" and aside from a handful of features over the past few years, for Bieber, it's the end of a four-year hiatus from major solo-releases.

The smooth and upbeat "I Don't Care" starts out with this verse from Sheeran:

I'm at a party I don't wanna be at
And I don't ever wear a suit and tie, yeah
Wonderin' if I could sneak out the back
Nobody's even lookin' me in my eyes
Can you take my hand?
Finish my drink, say, "Shall we dance?" (Hell, yeah)
You know I love ya, did I ever tell ya?
You make it better like that

The U.K. artist is setting up the classic situation for anyone who's ever experienced anxiety in a public space. Give it a listen, and you can relate to being at a social gathering and attempting to make small talk—but knowing what could actually make the situation better would be leaving. Or instead, hanging out with the one person that always settles your nerves.

In this case, Sheeran could be sweetly singing "I love ya" to his fiancée of over a year, Cherry Seaborn, whom he first met when the two were in high school together. And in regards to anxiety, the singer opened up to The Guardian in 2017 about his new experiences with the disorder after having his first panic attack. The person who helps him cope? Seaborn.

"I just don’t like groups of people that I don’t know any more, I can’t do crowds any more," he told the publication. "I can go to a pub, but only if it’s a pub that no one would go to. So me and Cherry go to a pub near where I live for Sunday lunch, we get a little corner table out of the way, and that’s fine. I can do that, but standing in a pub, no, I couldn’t do that."

As for Bieber, he enters the song later on with his own verse, including a particular line that stands out: "I'm crippled with anxiety," he sings, later on saying, "You know what? It's kinda crazy 'cause I really don't mind/And you make it better like that."

We know the "you" he's lovingly referring to is his wife, model Hailey Baldwin, whom he married in late 2018. He told Vogue in February about the "positive impact she made" on his life through both his private and public struggles. He further opened up about those tough times in an encouraging Instagram message to his fans in May.

"Don’t stop fighting the battle has already won.. fight for what you love and who you love don’t let fear and anxiety win.. [sic] god has not given us a spirit of fear but of power love and of a sound mind!" he wrote.

Now, with a better understanding of Bieber and Sheeran's experiences, it may be easier to appreciate the meaning behind the lyrics of this cheerful chorus:

'Cause I don't care when I'm with my baby, yeah
All the bad things disappear
Yeah, you're making me feel like maybe I am somebody
I can deal with the bad nights when I'm with my baby, yeah

So for all the socially anxious people out there standing in the quiet corner at a party: Bieber and Sheeran see you. (Maybe they are you?) And hopefully, whenever "I Don't Care" comes on, you'll feel a little bit less alone.

Check out the full lyrics to "I Don't Care" below, courtesy of genius.com.

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