Justin Bieber Added To Wango Tango, Says Selena Gomez Inspired A Lot Of His New Album

Justin Bieber has joined the lineup at at this year’s KIIS-FM’s Wango Tango concert in Los Angles in May.

Ryan Seacrest, who is hosting the annual, pop throwdown, made the reveal on Thursday during his radio show On Air With Ryan Seacrest. Bieber dropped by the station’s studio to record his spot on Wednesday.

During his interview, Justin was asked about his apology at his Comedy Central roast, his in-the-works, new album, Selena Gomez, his hair, his new puppy Esther, and more.

“I wanted them to understand that I am a real human being,” the superstar said of his mea culpa at the March skewering.

He added, “I think people forget that and I’m growing up, and I’m figuring some stuff out.”

You have to sometimes go through the downs to appreciate the ups, and I know people probably thought it was a big ol’ publicity stunt, but we can do interviews and talk about me wanting to change or me wanting to do this, but I’m here to show people a new walk. “

Justin went on to say, “I want people to look at me and be proud of me,” adding, “That was all I really wanted to get across.”

Reiterating a point made in his roast apology that, “There was no way of me preparing for this [life],” Bieber said he felt disappointed “looking back at some of the interviews,” as he says “I didn’t see myself in that way.”

“I didn’t know I was being arrogant. Because when you are being cocky, you are the only one that doesn’t know you look like a jerk,” he told Seacrest.

Asked if he would do anything differently, Justin insists he “wouldn’t really change anything because I grew, and now I’m looking at it and I can see it. Sometimes I have to learn the hard way.”

The singer also revealed he has let go of people from his circle who brought in “garbage and negativity.” Friends in his life now are “pouring into my life, refueling my engine. When I get empty, they’re there to just be like, ‘No, I’m going to encourage you to be better and to push on.'”

“I think that’s what you have to be surrounded with, especially in this industry,” he added.

Of his new album, Bieber was asked if he would now be including EDM material amid the success of “Where Are U Now,” his collaboration with Jack U’s Skrillex and Diplo.

The trio recently performed it at last weekend’s Ultra Music Festival in Miami to a euphoric crowd. The track has impacted three Billboard charts, one in the Top 10, and has racked up impressive streaming stats.

“It was a cool collaboration that happened really organically,” Bieber said of the Jack U hit. The singer revealed his new album will have “snippets of that type of stuff [EDM]” but says most of the record will “be really musical” with “a lot of real instrumentation.”

Asked if he planned to reply musically to former girlfriend, Selena Gomez’s anthem “The Heart Wants What It Wants,” Bieber said, he wouldn’t be making a “direct response. No.”

However, Justin admitted Selena is a muse, adding, “I think a lot of my inspiration comes from her.”

“It was a long relationship, and a relationship that created heartbreak, and created happiness and a lot of different emotions that I wanted to write about. There’s a lot of that on this album.”

The Biebs also confirmed, “I’m single right now,” agreeing, “I do enjoy it” when specifically asked that by Seacrest.

Bieber elaborated on recent confirmation that his new album will be co-produced by Kanye West and Rick Rubin, along with news that he went back to the drawing board with it after working on himself.

Of West, the singer said the pair “have been in the studio” for “the past month or so,” but said he is “not in a rush” to release his album.

Bieber praised the Grammy-winning rapper. “He just pushes you. He definitely wants it to be my way and my direction and he doesn’t want to steal what I want… That’s why artists love to go to him, because he pulls something out of you that other people don’t.”

The singer got really intense when he spoke about his new album. Explaining, “I just want to create the best piece of art that I can create — something that’s really near and dear to my heart.”

He then added, “I know that there’s a lot of stuff that I’ve been going through over the past few years. I just really want to bleed it on this record. I want people to know that I’m not playing around. I’m not doing a record that’s cookie cutter or doing something that I think people want to hear.”

Bieber stressed that he “want to do something I know that I can feel and people are going to feel it through my music.” He went on say he has been “pretty silent” about what he has been going through, and says he wants to “translate” the reality that “growing up in this life is hard.”

At one point, the conversation turned to tattoos and hair. Somewhat hilariously, Justin said “I can’t grow a beard yet.” Of the hair on his actual head, he revealed, “I’m growing it out… I just want to grow it long,” although he drew the line at a man-bun.

Bieber played the KIIS-FM-produced Wango Tango back in 2013 and 2010. The 21-year-old’s ongoing, 2015 comeback has now entered its getting-back-to-the-music phase. He is also headlining the opening day of the Fusion Festival in the UK on August 28.

The Biebs’ musical resurgence, live — and potentially — on record, comes amid ongoing, self-work that the singer told USA Today he has been making in his personal and musical life. Into that mix, are multiple appearances on Ellen, magazine covers and interviews, the roast, and heartfelt apologies.

Bieber and the rest of the Wango Tango lineup — which includes headliner Kanye West, Nick Jonas, Sia, Tori Kelly, Calvin Harris, Ne-Yo, David Guetta, Meghan Trainor, Jason Derulo, and more — touch down at the StubHub Center in Carson, California on Saturday, May 9. Tickets go on sale on April 4.

Verdict on how Bieber came across in the Seacrest interview? What a transformation.

[Images via Getty Images/Sadao Turner/Ryan Seacrest Enterprises]