Justin Bieber

Spotlight

Justin Bieber’s career is a testament to the power of the Internet and Bieber fever. The pop star, who taught himself to play piano, trumpet and guitar, was raised by single mom who chauffeured him to talent shows and uploaded performance videos on YouTube. It was these covers of Chris Brown, Michael Jackson and Ne-Yo (plus his swoopy hairstyle, adorable baby face and made-for-the-stage presence) that quickly turned him into a viral sensation and caught the attention of manager Scooter Braun and Usher, who signed Bieber to Island Def Jam. His first album, 2009’s My World, debuted at No. 6 on the Billboard charts and spawned hit singles “One Time” and “One Less Lonely Girl.” His subsequent records and singles (My World 2.0, Believe, “U Smile,” “Baby,” “Boyfriend,” “As Long As You Love Me” and Under The Mistletoe) dominated charts as well. Backed by legions of Beliebers, he toured with Taylor Swift, collaborated with Drake and Nikki Minaj, sung at the White House, was the subject of the documentary Never Say Never and collected too many awards to list (MTV VMAs, American Music Awards, Junos, etc.). At just 18 in 2012, he became the first person to reach 3 billion YouTube views. Millions of hearts broke in 2011 when photos of him kissing Selena Gomez in St. Lucia surfaced. Breakup rumors are constant especially after a woman claimed he fathered her child. (DNA tests proved he hadn’t.) In late 2012, things supposedly ended but the twosome never officially confirmed and their PDA-filled outings continued.