“Mistletoe” by Justin Bieber: Wholesome Love Story or Chilling Indictment of Capitalism?

Justin Bieber’s “Mistletoe” may seem like a heartwarming holiday love story, but look a little deeper and you’ll find Bieber’s true message — a condemnation of materialism and its role in climate change.

Written by Annie Lyons

Photo courtesy of Island Records

Years have passed since Justin Bieber first captured hearts as a floppy-haired teen idol, but “Mistletoe” from his Christmas album Under the Mistletoe (2011) remains a staple for any holiday playlist, classic in its own right.

And for good reason — to put it simply, “Mistletoe” bops. The song has a simple and wholesome enough premise giving it an all-ages appeal; holiday activities galore call to Bieber, but all he wants to do is spend quality time with his girl. He croons his affections over a bouncy beat backed with jingling sleigh bells. “Mistletoe” is a song made for popular radio play with an easy to pick up chorus comprised of just two short, repeated phrases; this is a song Bieber wanted everyone to listen to.

But, read between the lines and you may find yourself second-guessing why Bieber designed “Mistletoe” for mass appeal. In the lyrics, Bieber does more than spread Christmas cheer: he subtly exposes the holiday’s role in climate change.  

Bieber carefully begins his takedown of the beloved holiday by pointing out a tangible effect of climate change. Throughout the song’s chorus, Bieber repeats “I should be playin’ in the winter snow,” with the surface-level implication that he cannot bear to tear himself away from his girl to do so. But, this seems like a hard pill to swallow. Kissing under the mistletoe is not the only wintertime activity with romantic potential — just take a look at any of Netflix’s holiday-themed romantic comedies to see the power of a flirtatious snowball fight in a burgeoning relationship. Are we really expected to believe that Bieber wouldn’t jump at the chance to use the snow to his advantage in wooing his girl?

Indeed, Bieber should be enjoying a winter wonderland, but he cannot because there is no snow in which to play. Over the past seven decades, Bieber’s home country of Canada has seen an average winter temperature increase of 3.3°C. While it’s an oversimplification of climate change to assume that snow will disappear completely, overall trends toward warming winters don’t bode well for Bieber’s snow.

In the second verse, Bieber continues to hint at warmer temperatures, singing “Everyone's gatherin' around the fire / Chestnuts roastin’ like a hot July.” Throughout “Mistletoe,” Bieber dedicates himself wholly to painting an image of winter bliss, from the constant jingling bells in the background to typical wintertime imagery. But, why mention July then? The reference to summer feels too intentional to ignore. Even if the chestnuts are heating up, why force the listener out of the pleasant wintertime mood if not to alert them to something more sinister, such as a winter that feels like summer?

Photo courtesy of Island Records

Having established the devastating effects of climate change, Bieber next examines the cause. At the end of the second verse, he sings “I should be makin' a list I know, but I'ma be under the mistletoe.” With this lyric, Bieber consciously dismisses the materialistic trappings of Christmas in favor of quality time with his boo. He reiterates this idea when singing “Don't ya buy me nothin', 'cause I am feelin' one thing / Your lips on my lips, that's a merry merry Christmas.” Here, he takes things a step further by directly rejecting the gift exchanging — and thus, consumerism — that now define the modern American Christmas.

It’s hard for anyone to deny the consumption-driven mentality surrounding today’s Christmas. But, this was not always the case. Prior to the full swing of the industrial revolution, gift giving played a humble role. It only gradually became a major tenet of Christmas in the late 1800s, corresponding with the rise of industrialism, capitalism, and outgrowth of American consumerism. It’s not coincidental that these three ‘-isms’ brought on the advent of climate change either; carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere have increased by 40% in the last 150 years.  

Here’s where it all starts to come together. Bieber sees the effects of climate change on his beloved winter snow and recognizes capitalism’s role. Ideologically, Bieber struggles to reconcile his love for the holiday season with the knowledge that the same materialistic principles fueling today’s Christmas are also wreaking havoc on the world around us.

This brings us to the crux of the song: the ubiquitous mistletoe itself. The tradition of kissing under mistletoe has roots in many ancient pagan religions, from to the Norse to the Ancient Greeks, and perhaps most notably, the Celtic Druids. The Druids believed that the plant had sacred powers and would gather sprigs when celebrating the winter solstice to hang in their doorways to ward off evil. Mistletoe’s pagan symbolism soon blended into a more Christian celebration of Christmas (religious syncretism, anyone?), but its history reveal a close tie to the natural world around us.

Bieber beseeches us all to join him underneath the mistletoe, and in doing so, reject the recent materialism of Christmas and return to the holiday’s winter solstice origins that cherish nature rather than destroy it.

With his boyish charm and pop music sensibilities, Bieber balances mass appeal with in-depth critiques of modern society. “Mistletoe” joins other Bieber favorites that sneak a hidden meaning into a deceptively superficial song, such as “Boyfriend’s” examination of sugar daddy culture or “All Around The World’s” take on globalization.

We’re on to you, Justin.