Justin Bieber
Justin Bieber is a Canadian pop singer who gained fame as a teenager through YouTube, where he showcased his self-taught musical talents. Born on March 1, 1994, in London, Ontario, he was raised primarily by his mother, Pattie Mallette. His music career took off with the release of his debut album, *My World*, in 2009, which included hit singles like "One Time." This early success set the stage for his second album, *My World 2.0*, which made him the youngest solo male artist to top the Billboard 200 since Stevie Wonder. Over the years, Bieber has released several multi-platinum albums and earned numerous awards, including a Grammy.
Despite facing personal challenges, including mental health struggles and a diagnosis of Ramsay Hunt syndrome, he has continued to create music, with his latest works including the album *Justice* and collaborations with other artists. His personal life has also been in the spotlight, notably his on-again, off-again relationship with fellow singer Selena Gomez and his marriage to model Hailey Baldwin in 2018. Together, they welcomed their first child in 2024. Bieber's journey reflects both his musical evolution and personal growth within the public eye.
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Subject Terms
Justin Bieber
- Born: March 1, 1994
- Place of Birth: London, Canada
Justin Bieber is a Canadian singer who rose to stardom after becoming a pop music sensation on YouTube. Following the release of My World 2.0 in March 2010, which is the second half of Bieber's debut studio album, he spent the spring of that year promoting the record and hitting the television circuit. With the release of that record, Bieber, a self-trained singer, became the youngest solo male vocalist to reach the number-one spot on the Billboard 200 since Stevie Wonder in 1963. Within a decade, he became an award-winning multimillionaire and hit maker.
Background
Justin Drew Bieber was born in London, Ontario, Canada, on March 1, 1994, to Jeremy Bieber and Pattie Mallette. His mother raised him alone. He attended Avon Public School and Downie Central Public School in his hometown.
Bieber taught himself to play numerous instruments, including the drums, guitar, piano, and trumpet, and began singing at the age of twelve. When he was thirteen, he entered Stratford Idol, a singing competition, finishing in second place. In order for friends and family to see his performances, the young singer and his mother began to post them on the video-sharing website YouTube. His following grew beyond his family and friends to include Scooter Braun, a former music industry executive who helped Bieber break into the music business.
Bieber and his mother flew to Atlanta, Georgia, where they met with singer and producer Usher. Soon after, in 2008, Bieber was signed to Island Records. Bieber and his mother relocated to Atlanta, where his career started to take off.
Bieber Fever
Bieber's debut album, titled My World, was released in November 2009. The album's first single, "One Time," reached number 17 on Billboard's Top 200 and featured Usher in the video. Other tracks on the album climbed to the Top 40, including "One Less Lonely Girl," "Love Me," and "Favorite Girl." The album went platinum (selling one million units) in the US and Canada, and the singer was invited to perform for the Obama family in the Christmas in Washington show in December 2009, an annual television special filmed at the White House. He was also invited to participate in the singing of a remake of "We Are the World," part of a fund-raising effort to provide relief to the victims of the 2010 earthquake in Haiti.
Bieber quickly followed his successful debut album (labeled a two-part debut) with My World 2.0, released in March 2010. Guest artists on the album include Ludacris, who sings on the single "Baby." The album debuted at number one, and the singer occupied two spots in the top five (for both albums) on the Billboard 200. It was also nominated for that year's Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album. In the spring of that year, Bieber cruised the television circuit, appearing on television shows such as The View, Nightline, and Saturday Night Live.
Bieber went on to release the EP Never Say Never: The Remixes and the holiday-themed Under the Mistletoe in 2011, which were followed by 2012's Believe and an acoustic version of that album in 2013. A couple years later, he won his first Grammy, in the best dance recording category, for "Where Are Ü Now," an electronic remix of a song that appeared on his 2015 album Purpose. Then, in 2019 he took a break from his musical career to attend to personal issues; he admitted to having misused drugs in years past to cope with the pressures of fame. He soon returned to recording, however.
Bieber released his next major album, Changes, in early 2020. By late 2020, seven of Bieber's albums and EPs had peaked atop the Billboard 200, six of his songs had topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and six albums had been certified platinum. Bieber had also been named among Forbes magazine's 30 Under 30 in 2014. When his next effort, the guest-packed, sixteen-track album Justice, was released in 2021, it also went directly to the number-one position on the Billboard 200. The singles "Peaches" and "Stay," the latter of which he recorded with the rising hip-hop star the Kid Laroi, proved especially popular, with each claiming the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100. Continuing to surpass both singles and album records, he also put out the EP Freedom that year as well as extended versions of Justice before beginning a tour dedicated to promoting Justice in 2022. While the tour was supposed to end in March 2023, Bieber ended it early in September 2022, reportedly because he prioritized his health. During that year, Bieber was diagnosed with Ramsay Hunt syndrome, a rare neurological disorder that causes facial weakness and paralysis.
Bieber went into the Grammys ceremony in 2022 with eight nominations, he did not leave with any trophies. Then, in 2023, Bieber sold the rights to his music catalog to Hipgnosis Songs Capital, a British music management company, for an estimated $200 million.
In September 2024, Rolling Stone magazine revealed that Bieber was working on new music for the first time since 2021. Bieber was reportedly collaborating with singer-songwriter Mk.gee. Also in 2024, the singer re-released his single "Life Is Worth Living" from his album Purpose. The re-released song made it to number 12 on TikTok Billboard Top 50.
Bieber had an on-and-off romantic relationship with fellow singer Selena Gomez for much of the 2010s. He eventually married model Hailey Baldwin in 2018. The couple belonged to Hillsong, an evangelical megachurch, and became the subject of a YouTube documentary and later the Facebook Watch television series The Biebers on Watch. In 2024, they welcomed a son, Jack Blue Bieber.
In 2020 Bieber denied allegations of sexual assault made on Twitter and filed a libel suit in response; however, in early 2022, it was reported that his legal team had requested the suit's dismissal.
Bibliography
Bieber, Justin. Interview by Martha Stewart. Interview, 13 July 2015, www.interviewmagazine.com/music/justin-bieber-1. Accessed 12 Oct. 2020.
Blanchet, Brenton. "Billboard's Greatest Pop Stars of 2021: No. 8—Justin Bieber." Billboard, 13 Dec. 2021, www.billboard.com/music/pop/justin-bieber-greatest-pop-stars-of-2021-1235008588/. Accessed 9 May 2022.
Blistein, Jon. "Justin Bieber Is Working On His First New Music Since 2021 With 2024’s Coolest Guitarist." Rolling Stone, 4 Sept. 2024, www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/justin-bieber-new-music-mk-gee-1235095084/. Accessed 15 Oct. 2024.
Bubalo, Mattea. “Justin Bieber Sells Rights to Songs for $200m.” BBC News, 25 Jan. 2023, www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-64394448. Accessed 22 Feb. 2023.
Burton, Tara Isabella. “Justin Bieber, Hillsong Church, and the Celebrity Redemption Narrative.” Vox, 1 Oct. 2018, www.vox.com/identities/2018/10/1/17596502/justin-bieber-hillsong-carl-lentz-married. Accessed 12 Oct. 2020.
“Justin Bieber Refutes Sexual Assault Allegation.” Variety, 22 June 2020, variety.com/2020/music/news/justin-bieber-sexual-assault-allegation-deny-refutes-1234644232/. Accessed 12 Oct. 2020.
Madani, Doha. “Justin Bieber Says Taking Break from Music to Focus on His Mental Health, Marriage to Hailey Baldwin.” NBC News, 25 Mar. 2019, www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/pop-culture-news/justin-bieber-says-taking-break-music-focus-his-mental-health-n987221. Accessed 12 Oct. 2020.
Weaver, Caity. “Justin Bieber Would Like to Reintroduce Himself.” GQ, 11 Feb. 2016, www.gq.com/story/justin-bieber-gq-interview. Accessed 12 Oct. 2020.