NEWS
Bernice King, daughter of Martin Luther King Jr., thanked Justin Bieber for supporting the King Center and its Be Love campaign as part of the singer’s philanthropic efforts around his new album, Justice.
Bieber’s new album, Justice, notably features a handful of MLK audio clips. The opening track, “2 Much,” starts with one of the most famous quotes from King’s 1963 “Letter From a Birmingham Jail” — “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” Later, the “MLK Interlude” comprises audio from a sermon MLK delivered at Ebenezer Baptist Church in November 1967 that begins, “I say to you this morning, if you have never found something so dear and so precious to you that you will die for it, then you aren’t fit to live.”
On Twitter, Bieber announced that he would be “supporting organizations that embody what justice looks like in action.” Along with the King Center, those include the Anti Recidivism Coalition, Alexandria House, the Compton Pledge, Baby2Baby, the Equal Justice Initiative, LIFT, Self Help Graphics and Art, This Is About Humanity, and the Poor People’s Campaign.
“Each of us, including artists and entertainers, can do something,” King wrote on Twitter in response to Bieber. “Thank you, @justinbieber, for your support, in honor of #Justice, of @TheKingCenter’s work and of our #BeLove campaign, which is a part of our global movement for justice. #MLK #EndRacism.”
While Bieber’s use of MLK’s speeches has drawn some criticism, it ostensibly has the support of the King estate, which must approve and license any use of King’s papers or speeches. Neither Bernice King nor a representative for Intellectual Properties Management, which handles licensing for the King estate, immediately returned Rolling Stone’s request for comment regarding the use of MLK’s work on Justice.
In a Vogue recap of a recent virtual Justice listening party Bieber hosted with journalists, Bieber explained why he wanted to include the MLK audio on his new album: “What I wanted to do with this was amplify [Dr.] Martin Luther King Jr’s voice to this generation,” Bieber said. “Being Canadian, it wasn’t so much a part of my culture.”
Regarding the “MLK Interlude” specifically, Bieber said: “This speech was actually during the time when [he had] a feeling that he was going to die for the cause, and what he was standing up against was ultimately racism and division. I think his message was that a lot of people can be afraid to stand up for what is right, but if you’re not standing up for justice — for what is right — what are you doing with your life? I’m sorry to get so deep, but these are the times we’re living in. That’s why I wanted to make this album because I think it’s very timely and very necessary.”
BLACKPINK’s Jennie is set to return with another solo release.
The 30 year old singer has confirmed that her digital solo EP, Fallen Angel, will arrive on August 28. The project will include three songs, FALLEN ANGEL, HEAVEN and Less Than a Lover.
The announcement was shared through the social media accounts of Odd Atelier, Jennie’s own company, where the new project was described as “A gift from JENNIE, with love”.
Jennie also confirmed that fans will be able to watch the music video for the EP’s title track on the same day the project comes out.
The upcoming release arrives only a few months after BLACKPINK dropped their highly awaited mini album Deadline in February.
The K pop group, made up of Jennie, Jisoo, Lisa and Rosé, concluded their Deadline world tour on January 26, 2026, with their final show taking place at Kai Tak Stadium in Hong Kong.
The group first introduced the project with the lead single JUMP in July 2025. The five track release was later completed with GO, Me and my, Champion, and Fxxxboy.
YG Entertainment previously shared its thoughts on Deadline, saying: “Even amid the intense schedule of a large-scale world tour, the members devoted significant time and effort to perfecting this album. We are confident it is a body of work that encapsulates both the individual musical capabilities of the four members and their synergy as a team. We ask for your continued support as BLACKPINK once again leaves a meaningful mark on the global music industry.”
The four members continued developing their individual careers after BLACKPINK released their 2022 album Born Pink.
Lisa had earlier given fans a glimpse into the group’s plans, revealing that the members had recently returned to the studio to work on music for another album.
Speaking with Variety, she said: “Actually, we were in the studio a few days ago.
"We’re all so super excited to get back together and go on tour. We really miss the Blinks. We can’t wait to see them."
Each member has also built a strong presence through their solo work.
Rosé released her solo album Rosie, which included her Grammy nominated collaboration with Bruno Mars, APT..
Lisa later unveiled her first full length album, Alter Ego, while also stepping into acting with a role on HBO's The White Lotus, which was filmed in Thailand. Jennie launched her first solo album, Ruby, last year, while Jisoo released her EP Amortage, giving each member another opportunity to showcase her own musical style.
