Justin Bieber
Justin Drew Bieber (/ˈbiːbər/ BEE-bər; born March 1, 1994)[1][2] is a Canadian singer. Regarded as a pop icon, he is recognized for his multi-genre musical performances.[3][4][5] He was discovered by American record executive Scooter Braun in 2008 and subsequently brought to American singer Usher, both of whom formed the record label RBMG Records to sign Bieber in October of that year. He gained recognition following the release of his debut extended play (EP) My World (2009), which was quickly met with international commercial success and led to his establishment as a prominent teen idol.
"Bieber" redirects here. For other uses, see Bieber (disambiguation).
Justin Bieber
- Singer
- songwriter
2007–present
- Pattie Mallette (mother)
Stephen Baldwin (father-in-law)
Baldwin (by marriage)
Vocals
Bieber was ushered into mainstream stardom with his teen pop-driven debut studio album, My World 2.0 (2010), which debuted atop the US Billboard 200 and made him the youngest solo male act to do so in 47 years.[6] The album was supported by the single "Baby" (featuring Ludacris), which became one of the best selling singles of all time.[7] His second studio album, Under the Mistletoe (2011), became the first Christmas album by a male artist to debut atop chart and saw continued success.[8] Bieber experimented with dance-pop on his third studio album, Believe (2012); its acoustic re-release made him the first artist in Billboard history to have five US number-one albums by the age of 18.[9] Over the next two years, Bieber was involved in multiple controversies and legal issues, which led to a tarnishing of his public image.[10]
In 2015, Bieber explored EDM on "Where Are Ü Now" (with Jack Ü), which won the Grammy Award for Best Dance/Electronic Recording.[11][12] This influenced his fourth album Purpose (2015), which yielded three Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles: "Love Yourself," "Sorry", and "What Do You Mean?". He made UK chart history when each of which simultaneously held the top three spots on the country's chart. His guest performances on the 2017 singles "I'm the One" by DJ Khaled and "Despacito" by Luis Fonsi both peaked the Billboard Hot 100 and made Bieber among the few artists to replace himself atop the chart.[13] The latter also earned him a Latin Grammy Award. His 2019 single, "10,000 Hours" (with Dan + Shay) won the Grammy Award for Best Country Duo/Group Performance.[14] His R&B-inspired fifth album Changes (2020), debuted at number one in both the UK and US, while his standalone duet single "Stuck with U" (with Ariana Grande) debuted atop the Billboard Hot 100. His sixth album, Justice (2021) was supported by the worldwide hit "Peaches" and topped the Billboard 200, breaking Elvis Presley's 1965 record for the youngest solo act to have eight US number-one albums.[15] His eighth US number one single, "Stay" (with the Kid Laroi) was released that same year.
Bieber is one of the best-selling music artists of all time, with estimated sales of over 150 million records worldwide. He is credited with four diamond certifications from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).[16] He is the recipient of numerous accolades, including two Grammy Awards, one Latin Grammy Award, eight Juno Awards, two Brit Awards, 26 Billboard Music Awards, 18 American Music Awards, 22 MTV Europe Music Awards (the most wins for any artist), 23 Teen Choice Awards (the most wins for a male individual), and 33 Guinness World Records. Time named Bieber one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2011, and he was included on Forbes' list of the top ten most powerful celebrities in 2011, 2012, and 2013.[17]
Early life
Justin Drew Bieber was born on March 1, 1994, at St. Joseph's Hospital in London, Ontario,[18] and was raised in Stratford.[19] He is the son of Jeremy Jack Bieber and Pattie Mallette, who were both 18 when Bieber was born, and split up not long after his birth.[20] Pattie worked a series of low-paying office jobs, raising Bieber as a single mother in low-income housing. Mallette's mother Diane and stepfather Bruce helped her raise her son.[21] Bieber has maintained contact with his father.[22] Bieber's ancestry includes French-Canadian, Irish, English, Scottish, and German.[23][24][25] In 2012, Bieber claimed "I'm actually part Indian. I think Inuit or something? I'm enough per cent that in Canada I can get free gas", sparking criticism from Congress of Aboriginal Peoples for perpetuating misconceptions about Indigenous people.[26][27]
Bieber has three younger half-siblings; the four have the same father, Jeremy Bieber. Jeremy Bieber and his ex-girlfriend, Erin Wagner,[28] who broke up in 2014 after seven years together, have two children, daughter Jazmyn and son Jaxon.[29] Jeremy married his girlfriend Chelsey in February 2018, and they have a daughter named Bay.[30][31] Bieber also has a stepsister named Allie, the daughter of his stepmother.[32]
Bieber attended two French-language immersion elementary schools in Stratford, Jeanne Sauvé Catholic School[21] and Bedford Public School. In grades 7 and 8, he attended Stratford Northwestern. Former teacher, Kim Booker often recalled fond memories of Bieber as her student, and is featured in several interviews. He attended Stratford's St. Michael Catholic Secondary School, and graduated in 2012[33] with a 4.0 GPA.[34]
Growing up, he learned to play the piano, drums, guitar, and trumpet.[19][35] In early 2007, aged 12, Bieber performed Ne-Yo's "So Sick" for a local singing competition in Stratford, in which he placed second.[35][36] Mallette posted a video of the performance on YouTube for their family and friends to see. She continued to upload videos of Bieber singing covers of various R&B songs, and Bieber's popularity on the site grew.[37] In the same year, Bieber busked shows in front of the Avon Theatre steps with a rented guitar during tourism season.[38]