Profile Who is justin BieHe’s the floppy-hairedBer? teen at the top of the pop music tree, but is Justin Bieber a formidable talent or a marketing ploy? Whatever the answer, David Leser discovers that Bieber Fever is here to stay. ART STREIBER/AUGUST/RAVEN & SNOW. & SNOW. STREIBER/AUGUST/RAVEN ART 123 AWW.com.Au JUNE 2011 JUNE 2011 AWW.com.Au 124 he tender hearts of is the first 16-year-old to perform at relief effort in Japan they could be From busking to the big australia’s female youth are a sell-out concert at Madison square photographed with it. two bodyguards time: tween megastar probably still palpitating, Garden, natural home to rock gods like flanked the encased box the entire time. Justin Bieber became an overnight sensation but now that he has departed the rolling stones and U2. he is the **** thanks to YouTube and our shores it might be a first artist to garner more than half a thIs Is a stOrY for our times. Cherub other social media. goodT time to get some perspective on the billion Youtube viewers for a single from broken home in Canadian small phenomenon that is Justin Bieber. song, Baby. (at the time of writing it town teaches himself to sing and play never mind if there are those of was 533,644,280!) music. at two, he’s so mesmerised by the you who have only just heard of him – thanks to online social media, Justin drums he’s bashing away on anything he I, too, was living under a rock marked Bieber is now the most popular teenager can find.a t eight, he’s beating time to “Paleolithic” until recently – this is the on the planet, and he is responsible for standard jazz tracks at a local benefit. 17-year-old from stratford, Canada, an earthly pandemic known as “Bieber at 12, he begins busking in the streets, who is now redefining fame and the Fever” which has literally infected the singing like an angel to a strumming history of pop culture. hearts and minds of tens of millions – make guitar. the good burghers of stratford Consider this: nine million albums that hundreds of millions – of (mostly) open their windows to let the music waft sold worldwide in his first year as a female young girls and teenagers. through. In early 2007, he sings american professional performer; earnings of Known as “Beliebers”, they share r&B singer, ne-Yo’s, number-one hit, more than $100 million in 12 months; the same highly contagious, difficult-to- So Sick at a local singing competition. one billion viewers on Youtube; isolate symptoms. they buy Bieber his mother, Pattie Mallette, posts the 9 million twitter followers; nearly fragrance, nail polish, key chains, video on Youtube. 17 million Facebook friends; a best- bracelets, beach towels and teddy bears. and there it begins. suddenly all these selling book; a 3-d movie about himself; they scream, hyperventilate and faint clips of a crooning boy are being uploaded two performances at the White house; at his concerts. they weep at the sight by his mother onto the internet, mainly appearances on The Oprah Winfrey of him, the thought of him, dream of for friends and family. Yet in 2008, Show, The Ellen Show, Late Show With him often – more often than is probably scott “scooter” Braun, a big-time talent David Letterman, Saturday Night Live healthy – and they wear purple in scout in search of the next kid superstar and a host of others; sell-out tours his honour because, well, that’s his stumbles on Bieber’s videos while looking across america, europe and australia. favourite colour. for a different singer. “I saw this little and all this before the singer with the they also cut their hair like him – 12-year-old singing aretha Franklin’s Cupid smile can vote or drink in his at one time the “perfect swoop around”, Respect … and that is when I got the own hometown. as Vanity Fair magazine dubbed it, a buzz,” he declared in the new biopic of think Frank sinatra in 1942 when he Vanessa Price “do” that has spawned Bieber’s life, Never Say Never. “I actually nearly caused the walls of the Paramount an international fashion trend and a cancelled all my meetings the next day theatre in new York to cave in, such was most unlikely website called lesbians and said, ‘I’m going to find this kid the commotion from his teenage fans. wholooklikejustinbieber.tumblr.com. today’. I became obsessed with him.” think elvis Presley in 1956 after he that was until February this year scooter tracked down Bieber’s great-aunt sparked near riots with his smouldering when young Justin decided to chop in Canada, then a local theatre, the school good looks and voice, not to mention his off his locks in a gesture to his favourite board and, finally, his mother, Pattie on-stage gyrations. think the Beatles who, animal rights charity, the Mallette who blanched, during the 1960s, triggered a worldwide Gentle Barn Foundation. “i’m going initially, at scooter’s hysteria that was to become forever known It was a haircut that one persistence and his as “Beatlemania”. website proclaimed to find this Jewish background. Yes, think all the pop acts of breathlessly might have kid today.” a devout Christian, contemporary history that have caused “altered the fabric of herself – a faith she the tween thermometer to sizzle and melt the universe”. has imparted to her son – Pattie asked – Ol’ Blue eyes, the King, the Fab Four, Certainly it altered something, given for guidance. “God, I gave him to you,” the Monkees, david Cassidy, Michael that a strand from his crowning glory she implored. “You could send me a Jackson, the Backstreet Boys (for a ended up being sold at an eBay auction Christian man, a Christian label … you moment anyway) – and Justin Bieber for more than $40,000. that was after don’t want this Jewish kid to be Justin’s is now a glittering star in the same 98 bids. the hair then travelled across man, do you?” apparently he did because, firmament. Only he’s done it faster. america inside a glass box – signed by within days, Justin was flying toa tlanta Justin Bieber is the first artist to have the pop superstar himself – for special to meet scooter and record demo tapes seven songs from a debut album chart on appearances in cities and towns. Love- with him. a week later he was doing the Billboard hot 100. he is the youngest struck fans queued for hours to pose an audition for his hero, the multiple male soloist to have a number one album with Bieber’s hair and as long as they Grammy award-winning singer and since Little stevie Wonder in 1963. he were prepared to donate to the tsunami producer, Usher raymond IV. “Who is ➤ & SNOW. STREIBER/AUGUST/RAVEN ART JUNE 2011 AWW.com.Au 126 this kid?” Usher asked scooter, before his home, his friends, his grandparents – Irish, australian and new Zealand album they signed him to their joint venture to whom he was devoted – in order to charts. the new david Cassidy had arrived, record label, raymond Braun Media become the “next big thing”. a teen idol with androgynous good looks Group, (rBMG) beating out Justin that was October, 2008. Within months who could trigger mass hysteria with timberlake in the process. Bieber’s first single, a sweet pop ballad a smile and a flick of the hair. Usher and scooter then took Bieber called One Time, was released to radio **** to see antonio “L.a.” reid, the Grammy as Bieber was still working on his first andY WarhOL OnCe famously said award-winning record producer at album. the song peaked at number 17 that “in the future, everyone will be famous Island def Jam Music Group, the same on the Billboard hot 100 and, at last for 15 minutes”. Given the spectacular L.a. reid who’d helped guide rihanna, count, had been seen on Youtube by rise of celebrity culture and reality Kanye West, Pink, dido and Usher, 12.5 million viewers. television in recent himself, to multi-platinum album sales. When I met you girl my “the new years – not to mention “he came in and soaked up all the air heart went knock knock the onslaught of social in the room,” L.a. reid would say later, Now them butterflies in david cassidy media – it looks like “and he sang pretty well. But it wasn’t my stomach won’t stop stop had arrived.” a prophetic statement even that. It was the face. It was the hair. hardly dylan-esque, but from the one-time he was brave … and when it was all said no matter. the juggernaut kept rolling. philosopher-prince of american pop art. and done I was beyond convinced.” a string of appearances on live shows What the Beatles achieved after the rest, as they say, is history. recent across america was followed by a visit years of grinding it out in the clubs of history. Bieber was signed to L.a. reid’s to the Oval Office and a performance Liverpool and hamburg, Justin Bieber Island records in a venture deal with Braun for the Obamas at the White house for has managed to realise almost overnight, and Usher’s group, rBMG, prompting Christmas in Washington, where he sang thanks, in large part, to the pervasive Bieber and his mother to move to atlanta stevie Wonder’s Someday At Christmas.