Stop what you’re doing, because Justin Bieber’s new song with Dan + Shay has “cuffing season anthem” written all over it. The song, “10,000 Hours,” is about getting to know the person you love even if it takes 10,000 hours. Get it? If that’s not enough to make you tear up, the video stars the three singers and their partners. That means not only do you get to cry over Dan Smyers and Abby Law, and Shay Mooney and Hannah Billingsley, but fans also get to see what Justin Bieber and Hailey Baldwin’s body language in the “10,000 Hours” music video says about their relationship dynamic.
While body language isn’t an exact science, experts say there’s a lot you can tell about a couple by the way they touch, look at, and move around each other. But body language can also be really easy to fake, and in the case of the “10,000 Hours” music video, it’s hard to tell what’s real and what’s not. Ultimately, music is Bieber’s job, and modeling is Baldwin’s. It’s safe to say they’re both pretty good at what they do, so it’s hard to tell whether or not their body language in the video is a reflection of how they really feel about each other. Nevertheless, I asked body language expert Dr. Lillian Glass what she sees in their physical dynamic, and honestly, I was surprised.
It’s important to note that Bieber and Baldwin’s body language when captured by the paparazzi is dramatically different than what we’re seeing in this video. It might be because they’re in their natural element and scrambling to get from one place to the next, but in normal shots of them, they’re almost never this openly affectionate. “There’s not a lot of PDA between them,” Dr. Glass tells Elite Daily. “They don’t seem like they’re having a whole lot of fun in the other pictures that we’ve seen.”
For Dr. Glass, that fact raises a red flag. In this still from the “10,000 Hours” video, “We’re seeing Justin be so attentive to her, and he’s never like that in real life,” says Dr. Glass. She also mentions that it feels like he “missed the mark” here, because “usually when you kiss someone, you kiss them on the top of their hand, and he’s kind of kissing her fingers, so it’s awkward in that regard.” This leads Dr. Glass to believe that their body language in this shot — and throughout the rest of the video — feels a bit staged.
At first glance, this image makes the couple look loving and affectionate toward each other. Baldwin looks like she couldn’t be more relaxed in Bieber’s arms! But according to Dr. Glass, their body language is “incongruous,” meaning it doesn’t really match. She says Bieber’s left hand does not seem relaxed, perhaps indicating some anger. “He’s got his hand in a little fist,” says Dr. Glass. “See the fist-like knuckle response? Usually he would’ve been touching her if it was more legitimate, but this is very posed.” She also says the fact that Baldwin is looking away and not looking at him makes the scene look like “he’s trying to make up with her for something,” but ultimately, “it’s very posed.”
To the untrained eye, this is the sweetest photo of Justin and Hailey in the entire freaking universe. But Dr. Glass says otherwise. “This also seems a little posey to me,” she says. “He’s not laughing. If she has that genuine of a laugh, he would’ve had one too. It doesn’t match.” Normally, when couples are on the same page, they’ll mirror each other’s body language. Walking in-step and similar posture while sitting down are two more examples of what mirroring looks like. But the fact that Bieber and Baldwin seem to have two totally different vibes in this photo is a little concerning for Glass.
In this still of the video, fans can see all three couples side by side with Bieber and Baldwin in the middle. According to Glass, it looks like Bieber is “trying to be affectionate toward her, and she’s just looking away.” She says the fact that Hailey’s legs are crossed make it seem like she’s more “closed off” than she’s letting on, and the fact that her feet are pointed outward make it seem like she wants to “run away.”
Now, before everyone starts getting nervous about this couple’s lasting power, it’s important to remember that they just had a Very Fancy Wedding™ in South Carolina on Sept. 30. It’s hard to believe that they’re on the rocks if they literally just got married for the second time. However, their body language in this video shines a light on how drastically different they are in real life than they are when they’re working. In paparazzi shots of the two, Glass says their serious expressions are consistent. They’re not always this affectionate, which makes the affection in the “10,000 Hours” music video seem like a bit of a contrast. However, she says their seriousness isn’t an indication of unhappiness, but rather, of their nature as a couple.
“They’re definitely a better match for one another because I think Hailey is a great stabilizing force for him,” says Glass. She says that although Bieber was often more affectionate toward his ex, Selena Gomez, their relationship was very much on and off, whereas his relationship with Hailey feels more stable. “She seems to be the mature one and has brought him up to a different level.” Dr. Glass continues, saying, “I think she’s a lot more stable and a lot more grounded, and she grounds him. I think she’s his rock, and he needs somebody like her.”
It’s sweet to think that the reason Bieber and Baldwin are so serious when captured by the paparazzi is because they’re so serious about each other. They seem to be a good balance for one another, which, according to Dr. Glass, makes them a very good match.
As always, I stan.
