Hailey and Justin Bieber made it back to the Grammys, four years after their last joint appearance at the award show. On Feb. 1, the couple walked the red carpet at the 68th annual Grammy Awards together, and their body language was full of surprises.
The biggest night in music was also a big night for the couple, with Justin performing his song “YUKON” and debuting a large back tattoo of Hailey’s face. Although the duo seemed to enjoy the ceremony itself (and the after-party), their dynamic on the red carpet was “highly posed,” according to body language expert Patti Wood.
Wood, who wrote Snap: Making the Most of First Impressions, Body Language, and Charisma, analyzed the Biebers’ vibe at the Grammys — and according to her, there was a lot of “nonverbal communication” happening on the carpet. Hailey and Justin took photos together and individually, which Wood says could have some significance. “By separating, they showed that they wanted to appear as individuals, as their own people,” she tells Elite Daily.
When the Biebers posed with each other, they seemed to be on the same page about curating their public image. “Their faces showed boredom and nonchalance, while their poses were still attention-grabbing,” she says. “They looked like they pre-planned to look quasi-bored. There was a desire to hide and block their true selves and feelings, as if they wanted to cut off their emotional state and not show so much.”
Considering their choice to wear “ICE out” pins, Wood guesses that their demure facial expressions could have been a “sign of curating their public image because of what’s going on in world.”
But just because they looked disinterested does not mean they did not enjoy their Grammys date night. “It was played up for the camera,” Wood says. “They made a choice to show the public only one side of themselves. But off the carpet, it was clear they were having a good time with each other and were able to be more playful with their friends.” In candid pictures and photos with other Grammys attendees, the Biebers were much more expressive.
