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He is the only artist in Billboard history to have four pre-album singles chart in the Top 40 of the Hot 100. He is one of YouTube’s top 10 stars of the decade, a top seed in 2009’s youngest success stories, and is dubbed hottest star of 2009 by J-14. But the biggest surprise of it all – this young artist has yet to turn sixteen this year.
Not a ‘One Time-Big Time’ break
Pop/R&B singer Justin Drew Bieber entered the international music scene quite unexpectedly, but with a talent that’s nothing short of slick and organic; it was, on one hand, much anticipated already. Tagged by critics as a ‘super precocious, multi-talented and self-taught musician’ (the boy learned how to play the piano, guitars, drums and trumpet by all himself), the Ontario native who was fresh from placing second in a local competition in Stratford found himself becoming a YouTube phenomenon when his mother started posting his performances on cyberspace for family and friends to see. Since then, Bieber’s ‘impeccable renditions’ of songs from the likes of Usher, Justin Timberlake, Chris Brown, and Stevie Wonder has generated wide interest: The official Justin Bieber website reports the young music sensation has racked up over 10,000,000 views since 2007.
Seven months after Justin posted his videos online, talent manager and former So So Def marketing executive Scooter Braun took notice, flying the Canadian teen to Atlanta, Georgia for an impromptu audition with R&B singer/songwriter Usher. Usher became greatly interested in Bieber that he gave him an audition with Island Def Jam chairman Antonio “L.A.” Reid who was so impressed that he immediately signed the 15-year old to a recording contract in October 2008. Justin Timberlake was also reportedly in the running to sign Bieber then, but the latter chose to be taken under Usher’s wing instead.
“It was truly his talent, his ability to, on the spot, produce that magic”, Usher told Good Morning America.
‘My World’
Aside from getting professions of love from tweens all over the world, Justin Bieber also earned the nods of critics with his platinum debut album, ‘My World’, which was released on November 2009. Its first single, ‘One Time’ also became famous, with its music video featuring a cameo by Usher himself.
And it weren’t only the positive reviews that put Bieber on the map; his album sales reinforced the message too as it became the second best-selling opening release for a new artist in 2009.
Muchmusic’s "newcomer of the year" is also the first artist to have all songs from a single album to chart in the U.S. Hot 100, while four of his singles (“One Time”, “One Less Lonely Girl”, “Love Me”, and “Favorite Girl”) made it to the Hot 100’s top 40 even before the album saw light.
When Fans Go Wild
While promoting "My World," Bieber was scheduled to appear at Long Island’s Roosevelt Field Mall, but the performance had to be canceled. Over 3,000 screaming fans turned up for the appearance. The situation got out of hand and some 35 units from Nassau County and Garden City police had to be called in. According to TMZ reports, a fan caused the mayhem to worsen by screaming that Bieber was in an Abercrombie store. Authorities speculated that the crowd which crammed the mall’s upstairs corridor forced a metal-and-glass railing to snap sending hundreds of girls tumbling to the lower level. Several fans received minor injuries and the police prohibited Bieber from coming in due to the current situation and fire hazard.
“It was so crazy that I couldn’t get to even come in the building,” Bieber told WBLI 106.1 in an interview. “They [the authorities] basically threatened to put me in cuffs and send me away to jail.” According to Wikipedia, Bieber took to Twitter, apologized to fans and promised to make up for the cancellation.
The world has high hopes for Justin Bieber, and MTV concurs with a fearless forecast for the young Pop/R&B singer: “At just a wee 15-years-of-age, Bieber is a virtually untapped well of natural artistic talent, and presumably will be a solid force in music for many years to come.”
The second installment for Bieber’s debut album titled, ‘My World 2.0’is slated to be released this March.
Photo: “JB” by , c/o Flickr. Some Rights Reserved.
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