Justin Bieber strips down for solo 'Yukon' at the Grammys

Justin Bieber performed a stripped-down solo of “Yukon” on the Grammys stage in Los Angeles on Sunday night, a performance described by New York Times critic Jon Caramanica. Caramanica wrote that Bieber appeared “dressed for a crucifixion,” naked except for boxer shorts and heavy socks, his skin showing tattoos and a purple guitar slung around his neck.

He stood on a woolly rug and did not sing for the first minute, instead looping the song’s opening lines and building a beat with a drum pad. The critic said the musical bed of loops matched Bieber’s tone as he moved between tension and languor; Caramanica quoted the repeated lyric, “What would I do / if I didn’t love you, baby?” and noted that for much of the performance Bieber’s eyes were closed and his arms were crossed.

Caramanica placed the choice to perform unaccompanied and with live looping in a broader musical context, comparing that handmade approach to artists such as Ed Sheeran and Kanye West and noting collaborators Dijon and Mk.gee, who helped shape songs on Bieber’s seventh studio album, “Swag,” which the review says earned him renewed critical acclaim this year.

The review called the set the night’s most memorable and improbable performance and said it served as a contemplative focal point amid other show moments; Caramanica also wrote that Bieber had come into the night up for four Grammys, including album of the year.

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