Outside of the Nicki Minaj vs. Miley Cyrus was it real/was it staged beef and Kanye’s acceptance speech, it was Justin Beiber’s tears that left the most indelible mark at the VMAs. We know ‘Ye is ‘Ye, so that’s that. But where did Biebs’ water works come from?

The former teen star spoke with Jimmy Fallon last night and explained he was overwhelmed.

“I just wasn’t expecting them to support me the way they did,” he explained. “Last time I was at an awards show, I was booed. I worked so hard at this album, I worked so hard at becoming the man I want to become and then stepping into situations you can’t help but feel judged. So I was feeling judged and wanting to win so badly and wanting to what I love so badly, I just put everything on the line, and I think that was so special about the emotional moment at the end. It was authentic, it was real. I was just really wanting it so bad.”

Bieber also performed “What Do You Mean” backed by The Roots, which you can check out below.