Justin Bieber: Limitless

Justin Bieber: Limitless

It’s been amazing.
You know.
I’ve been blessed to be able to,
you know, go around and-and..
…be liked around the world.
It’s been amazing.
[instrumental music]
(female narrator)
Canadian pop superstar,
Justin Bieber
first gained attention
as a YouTube phenomenon.
He wanted people to
sit up and take notice.
Oh, my god!
They did!
He was the first person
to get a billion hits.
He was a bedroom sensation.
(Bieber)
Usher’s like
a big brother to me.
We hang hand out. He takes me
go-karting. We play basketball.
(female narrator)
After signing a record deal
with Usher’s label
Bieber turned a generation of
teen girls into “Beliebers.”
♪ If I was your boyfriend
I’d never let you go ♪
♪ I can take you places you
ain’t never been before ♪
♪ Baby, take a chance or
you’ll never ever know ♪
♪ I got money in my hands
that I’d really like.. ♪
He kinda seems like this kid
who was meant to do one thing
and one thing only.
Make music.
(female narrator)
Justin Bieber was
barely in his teens
when he released his
2009 debut EP “My World.”
And became one of
the youngest success stories
in contemporary pop
when it sold 5 million
copies worldwide.
(Bieber)
I believe in, um,
you know, myself.
I believe, um,
in my dreams.
I think that Justin Bieber
is the biggest pop star
like, in the world
right now legitimately.
He just really inspired
and caught the public mood.
Girls wanted a new hero.
And Justin Bieber, he was
that man. He had music in him.
Throughout the early
stages of his career
Justin had always upheld
a squeaky clean image.
But since 2013,
a string of scandals
have tarnished
Justin’s image significantly.
(male #1)
He’s a massive, massive,
massive artist.
There’s always interest
in whatever he does now.
‘I think Justin is
one of these kids who prays..’
…you know, and when bad things
happen, he also looks to God.
‘And, damn,
when he flamed out’
‘it happened in as massive
a way as you can imagine.’
‘I think it’s part of being
followed 24 hours a day.’
Most people wouldn’t have
any idea how to deal with it.
(female narrator)
Despite his newly
acquired bad boy image
the pop megastar is still
one of the hottest celebrities
in the entertainment
industry today.
I don’t think it gets any bigger
than Justin Bieber right now.
To get to that level of success,
you have to want it that badly.
(female narrator)
He’s the superstar
who came from nowhere.
A prodigy with
a controversial path.
The world had to pay attention
because he is so big.
(female narrator)
Follow the unique story
of Justin Bieber.
[instrumental music]
And you know who
the secret celebrity is?
– that you wanted to slime?
– Who is it?
– Who is it?
– It’s you.
[fans screaming]
[instrumental music]
(female narrator)
Justin Bieber rose from
obscurity to superstardom
at the age of just 12.
He’s the second most
followed person on twitter.
With over
50 million followers.
(female #1)
‘You and Lady Gaga
have massive following’
‘on Twitter and Facebook.’
‘It’s quite
an ongoing rivalry.’
‘How do you deal
with that yourselves.’
– ‘Are you very competitive?’
– It’s not a rivalry at all.
Lady Gaga’s amazing.
I actually just saw her.
She was at the same dinner
as I was the other day.
She’s real cool
and really down to earth
and there’s no rivalry there.
– ‘Nothing at all, eh?’
– Nothing at all.
(female narrator)
His good looks and incredible
voice have won the hearts
of millions of teenage girls
around the world.
(Lucie)
The thing about Justin
is that he has this incredible
relationship with his fans
and they feel rather
genuinely close to him.
They’re following
his every move on Twitter
and he’s constantly trending.
Justin Bieber is
always up there on Twitter.
By the time
he got his debut album
he already had around
40 million fans on the internet
because they’ve
just been drip fed
this young, cute boy
performing in his house
and I think the clever
aspect of teen Bieber is that
they’ve never let that go.
They’ve never lost
any of their YouTube fans.
They still give them a little
glimpse into Justin’s life.
Justin’s tweeting
all the time.
Social media is,
you know, massive part
of why Justin Bieber
is such a phenomenon.
(female #2)
‘Hello, Justin.
What’s the craziest thing’
‘that a fan
has ever given you?’
Craziest thing
a fan’s ever given me.
Um, I don’t know. Fans have
given me lots of crazy things.
One time a girl gave me a rubber
golf club which was strange.
My fans are real cool.
‘Do you have
a message for them?’
Yes, my fans are amazing and
tell ’em I love ’em so much.
(female narrator)
At the age of 20,
Justin has already released
4 multi-platinum albums.
The latest of which,
“Journals,” came out in 2013.
Justin’s music
it seems to kinda cater
for all tastes
because he’s kind of part,
you know, R&B rapper.
He’s got a bit of
pop in there as well.
His, you know, his-his
dancing is something
the girls really love.
It’s just his all
encompassing performance
and I think you can just
see the talent in there
when he’s
performing on stage.
(female narrator)
With millions of dollars..
…millions of fans..
…and millions
of album sales.
Justin Bieber is
following in the footsteps
of his iconic hero,
Michael Jackson.
Justin loved music. When he
was 2, his mother bought him
a set of drums which he played
frequently, then she bought him
a secondhand guitar.
She couldn’t afford much
but she wanted to make him happy
and then he started singing.
And then he found
Michael Jackson who he adored.
I think anybody would want to be
as great as Michael Jackson.
He’s the top icon to me.
People are gonna remember him
for his dancing and his singing
but people have to remember
him for the man that he was.
He’d spend hours,
days in front of the mirror
practicing every lyric
to “Rockin’ Robin.”
And eventually, he sang it
to his mum who was blown away.
Well, your heart would swell
with pride, wouldn’t it?
These were his influences
and from a very young age
he showed rhythm and
the ability not just to sing
but to want to play
every instrument he could.
Music was inside him.
It was a gift.
(female narrator)
His tale is one of
dedication to succeed
which ultimately
began with humble roots.
[instrumental music]
Justin Bieber was born
on March 1st, 1994
in Stratford, Ontario
He’s the only child
of Jeremy Jack Bieber
and Pattie Mallette.
Pattie worked a series
of low-paying office jobs
raising Justin as a single
mother in low income housing.
You know,
he was born to a..
born to a very young mother..
…um, not much older than he is
right now as a matter of fact.
So they kind of
grew up together.
There was a father in the
picture for a little while
but he went on, married,
had two other kids.
They still stay
in touch but…it was..
For all the junk
Justin Bieber takes
about being like
kinda this whitebread
you know, really
squeaky clean guy
his upbringing was…uh..
…was pretty
hand-to-mouth for a long time.
‘I think he was brought up
in that sort of environment’
‘of, you know, “do good
and good will come to you.”‘
Um, it seems like his entire
sort of, like, you know
early years when he was sort
of dreaming up the idea of
possibly being a singer, um,
that it was encouraged by
‘his mom who was
very supportive of him.’
I think Justin’s like one of
these kids who prays genuinely.
Um, he looks to God for things
to happen in his life.
‘Um, he comes from a very, um,
a very religious background.’
I mean, that’s the only way to
say it, you know.
‘His mother is very
into the church.’
‘She’s very involved.’
So I think that, you know
it’s very much a part
of his identity.
And you can see from
his songs, you know
there’s always a lot of
references to faith and praying
and spirituality and, you know,
you can sense that
it really means something
to him.
Justin attended
a French language
immersion elementary school
in Stratford.
While attending this school,
he began to take an interest
in music and started learning
to play any instrument
he could get his hands on.
I think one of the first things
that blew people away
and sort of made them,
like, instant “Beliebers”
is watching him play drums
at, like, four years old.
He was good. Like you could tell
that there’s a talent there.
You see that the roots of his
talent and of his ambition
were planted very early on.
Justin became fanatical
about writing and performing.
He would even busk
in the local town
to raise a few extra dollars.
Yeah, he was just busking
on the streets, you know
doing talent shows, um,
just singing whatever
him and his guitar.
♪ For my own selfish gain ♪
♪ You’re my God and my father ♪
♪ You’re forever the same.. ♪♪
Obviously, that’s another thing
that gives him more validity
as an artist. And I think that
goes back to the fact
that when he started off,
the dude just wanted it.
You know, I think that’s the
biggest measure of success
as to how someone gets to be
as massive as Justin Bieber.
They have to want it.
And the thing with Bieber
as much as there was talent,
he wanted it.
And the busking, that just goes
back to that as well.
♪ How could I
feel so empty now”
♪ When I speak you name ♪
[indistinct chatter]
I mean, he wanted
to be a megastar.
He wanted to be this phenomenon,
and I think he wanted it
bad enough to make it happen
and the busking goes with that.
But it also, there’s a lot
of credibility for that
because again it shows him
as a singer/songwriter
and yeah, gives him a lot more
validity as an artist again.
(female narrator)
By age 12, Justin was starting
to develop an incredible voice
for someone of his age.
In 2007, his mother entered him
into a local talent contest
where Justin performed a cover
of Ne-Yo’s “So Sick.”
The performance went down
extremely well.
But unfortunately for Justin,
he came in second place.
Justin’s mom posted a video
of the performance on YouTube
for the rest
of the family to see it.
And the video quickly became
very popular in the local area.
Considering the popularity
of the video
Justin’s mom continued
to upload videos
of him singing covers
of various R&B songs
and his popularity
on YouTube started to grow
at a phenomenal rate.
This is what’s amazing
about social media now.
They had no money, but they
didn’t have to employ somebody
for hundreds or thousands
of pounds to get him noticed.
He all of a sudden was
on YouTube and Myspace.
Millions were taking
notice of him.
You know, think
about the sort of things
that he grew up with
in the early 2000s
music was very urban leaning
and that was the stuff
he listened to.
Usher, um, Ne-Yo.
You know, first, the first sort
of mark that he made
was coming in second
at a town competition
singing a Ne-Yo song “So Sick.”
You know, it’s not
the way you’d expect
like a blonde, blue-eyed,
little kid from Ontario
to be singing so well.
So, um, I think his influences
are very obvious
in the way that he sings,
which is..
It’s informed
by a sort of R&B sound.
He’s been putting up
videos on YouTube.
And he’s now the number one
“most subscribed to” musician
in Canada on YouTube.
(female #3)
‘On YouTube.’
And number 20th in the world,
musician in Canada.
‘Ooh.’
– We met him here.
– ‘Yeah, yeah, yeah.’
He sang for us
in the green room earlier.
– Ah.
– ‘You’d never believe.’
The music business these days
so many people looked
to YouTube to discover stars.
But in 2008, when Justin Bieber
was discovered, actually 2007
YouTube was only
three years old.
It was still pretty novel.
Um, you know, we didn’t have
the half a billion views
that we do today, which seem
almost common place.
It was just..
It was a new technology.
So, I think it was very smart
of his mom, Pattie
to recognize that right away
and to keep feeding the frenzy
but on the other hand, YouTube
is the greatest way to get
that instant feedback from the
people who are watching it
because they can comment,
they can thumbs-up it
you know, they can send it
to their friends.
So, I think it was like
instant results
more than anything.
Like, yes, it was about building
an organic following
and getting to these kids
and making them feel like
they’re a part of it
but on the other hand, it was
also just the easiest way
to get him out to as many
eyeballs as possible.
(female narrator)
While searching
for a different singer
Scooter Braun, a former
marketing executive
of Def Jam Records
accidentally clicked
on one of Justin’s videos.
(Ashley Pearson)
It was an accident that he
actually watched
Justin’s first YouTube clip.
He was looking
for something else.
He was googling or searching
some R&B song
and came up with this little
feisty little boy
probably about 12 years old,
you know..
…singing like an angel.
And with his great moves..
And he immediately began
the process of trying
to contact him.
He just immediately felt
inclined to track him down.
And he called everybody ’cause
he didn’t have
a home phone number
He called the school board. He
called the chamber of commerce.
Anyone he could get in touch
with at Stratford
until he got to his Aunt
which brought him to Pattie.
(female narrator)
When Justin’s mom, Pattie,
knew of Scooter’s interest
she was initially
extremely reluctant
to let Justin work with him
due to religious differences.
(Ian Cohen)
You know, in her,
in her imagination
like, in her best,
best-laid plans was
there’s gonna be
a good Christian man
and a good Christian label,
and that was what
who’s gonna find Justin
and make him a superstar.
You know, him and his mother
were just so tight
and, um, you know, she’s such
a major influence on his life
that, um, you know, it can be
a little strange dealing with
you know, people in this
industry, you know.
Not everyone’s a good Christian
in the record industry.
I’m not sure
if everyone’s aware of that
but Scooter Braun
in particular
um, personality wise
and name wise
very much kind of an old school
Jewish sort of guy
what people think of when
they think of record people
so she prayed, uh, she prayed,
um, that, you know
“God, if this is your will to,
uh, have this guy
uh, be the person to lead my son
to success, then…so be it.”
(female narrator)
After Justin was given the
green light by his mom
to start his working
relationship with Scooter
Justin was flown to Atlanta
to start initial recordings
on his debut album.
During the recording sessions,
Justin crossed paths with Usher
who’d eventually go on
to become his mentor.
Scooter didn’t just talk
a good game
he was incredibly
well connected.
And was involved with the likes
of Justin Timberlake
and Usher through a
record label called Def Jam
which is really a specialist
and famous for hip-hop.
Justin Timberlake and Usher
loved Justin Bieber.
They loved him.
(Shirley)
What happened
with Justin Timberlake is
yes, he was genuinely
interested
but the difference
between the two deals was that
Usher’s deal with Justin
was a partnership
and they created
a company basically
to handle that
and going
with Justin Timberlake
he would’ve been another artist
signed to Interscope.
You know, the way Justin Bieber
met Usher is, like
one of the cutest stories
of pop music history.
The first time they met,
Usher was coming out
of a recording studio
and Scooter Braun
basically told Justin
“Don’t talk to him.
Don’t make any contact,
let me handle the talking.”
So he didn’t talk to him,
and nothing really happened
and then a couple of months
later, they ran into him again
and Justin was like
“I can sing your song, like,
as well as you can basically.”
And Usher was like,
“Okay, let’s see what you got.”
And in the parking lot, outside
of this recording studio
in Atlanta, like
you know,
Justin just killed it.
So, the whole story
of how they came together
is really kind of, like,
it’s just sweet.
It’s like a mentor situation
between Justin and Usher.
Basically, uh, um,
Justin Timberlake and Usher
both wanted to sign me,
and we ended up signing
with Usher at Island Def Jam.
Um, people always ask me
why would you make
that decision and stuff but..
It was basically
down to the business side.
My manager and lawyer really
made the final decision.
But they are both nice guys,
and I really like them both.
(Ian)
You know, obviously, Justin’s
a role model but like Usher
just because
he part of the same team
you know,
one of Scooter’s clients.
Um, you know, it helps them, you
know, he-he just shows ’em
dance moves, you know, singing,
you know, dress, you know
you know, Justin Bieber now
wears, you know, like
backwards hats and, you know
You know, kind of basic level,
like, you know
quasi hip-hop attire,
but, you know, when you think
of someone who is this protected
and this handled
and there’s
so much riding on it
it’s something that has to be
done with a lot of experience
and, you know,
Usher really having been
a former, you know, teen idol
maybe not to the extent of,
like, you know, Justin Bieber.
He started a little later,
but, you know
he knows how this thing
progresses.
So, he’s, you know, a great
source of wisdom and experience.
Usher’s like a big brother to
me. We hang out all the time.
He takes me go-carting.
We play basketball.
I think that Usher
was just in a better place.
Perhaps Justin Timberlake was
going down the movie route.
And Usher was able to say,
“I’m gonna take this young kid
“I’m gonna give him all my
experience, let’s work together
and make him a superstar.”
(female narrator)
At the age of 13,
Justin was signed
to the Raymond Braun
media group.
A joint venture
between Scooter and Usher.
Justin and his mom
relocated to Atlanta
in order to focus solely
on Justin’s promising career.
Justin’s first single
“One Time” was released
while his album was still in
the process of being recorded.
The song reached number 12
on the Canadian Hot 100
during it’s first week
of release.
And later went on
to peak at number 17
on the Billboard Hot 100.
If you look
at the “One More Time” video
and again, this also went
to give Bieber credibility
with the urban audience and also
showcased him as an artist
in the “One More Time” video.
The video starts off
with him calling “Usher”
and Usher makes the cameo
in the video
♪ And I’ma be your one guy ♪
♪ You’ll be my number one girl ♪
♪ Always making time for you ♪
♪ I’ma tell you one time ♪
♪ Girl I love
girl I love you ♪
♪ I’ma tell you one time ♪
♪ Girl I love
girl I love you ♪
And it’s actually
a really clever video.
Because basically,
it keeps him as a little kid
while at the same time
giving that credibility
’cause he starts off by calling
“Usher” who’s having..
or Usher calls him rather
to have him watch the house.
The it turns into a party,
which’s basically
like a little three minute
teen movie, you know
that every kid
will probably dream of
getting to party
in Usher’s house.
(female narrator)
Justin’s first release
was an EP titled “My World.”
The EP’s second single
“One Less Lonely Girl”
and two promo singles
“Love me” and “Favorite Girl”
were released exclusively
on the iTunes store
and charted within the top 40
of the Billboard Hot 100.
“My World” was eventually
certified platinum in the US.
And double platinum
in both Canada and the UK.
Well, before his debut album
dropped in 2009, um
it was kind of a tentative
sort of, uh, you know,
roll out.
You know, couples singles
will be released
and they’d get big in Europe,
you know, iTunes exclusive.
Things like that, but you know,
once the album dropped
it still just proof that,
um, teens will rush to stores
you know, whether it’s going to
whatever’s left at Sam Goody
or, you know,
getting their parents
to go on iTunes
to buy the record.
(Steve Baltin)
What’s really interesting is
if you look at it now
in popular context
in some respects,
I don’t think many people
have discussed
or looked at this.
But it almost set the stage
for the reversion we’ve had
of going back to the singles era
of their early 60s.
In the early 60s,
there wasn’t necessarily
so much a showcase for albums,
it was all about singles.
Of course that’s a big thing
in the dance world.
It’s only been in last few years
in the pop world
you’ve had singles that now come
out two-three singles
before I’ll interview
an artist and be like
“The single’s out, the album
must be coming out sooner
it’s not done yet.” So I think
with Bieber it’s something that
coming out a few years ago, and
coming out originally as an EP
set the stage
for the full album.
I think in some respects,
it probably deserves more credit
in popular culture for,
you know, credit or disdain
whichever way
you look at it
for helping set the stage
for that.
Then, you know,
it went platinum, um
it did exactly
what it was supposed to do
which was to advance
the Justin Bieber brand.
Um, you know, it’s never been
just about the music
even though that’s like
the main connection
people have to him, you know,
just show that he can have
an album, not just songs and,
you know, whether it’s that
whether it’s the acoustic
version, Spanish language
you know, Justin Bieber
finally had his product
out in the world.
(Shirley)
His albums have sold very well
but he’s selling
to core audience, fans
and the big test is gonna be
how is he going to transition
from this kid, cause you’ve
to remember, like,
he sounds like a kid.
and that’s a reason
why radio won’t play him.
Don’t play little kids,
you know.
He’s not a radio artist. You
know, most people become big
when they have a huge hit
on the radio.
And he’s never had that.
I mean, he’s come close,
he’s had a couple of top 20s
but he hasn’t had
the radio smash
which makes his success
more unbelievable.
(female narrator)
Just two years after Justin
had been discovered by Scooter
he was performing at Stevie
Wonder’s “Someday At Christmas”
for none other
than Barack Obama
and first lady Michelle Obama
at the White House.
There’s an awful lot
that makes Justin Bieber
the perfect teen idol.
If you like, the circumstances
around him
created the perfect storm
for him just to be catapulted
into this huge global superstar.
He had the basics, the look,
the floppy hair
which was really trendy,
really cute, but more than that
he was this guy
who was living the dream
Girls could identify it
because he was just in his
bedroom like the guy next door
who happened to be amazing
singer that went on YouTube
and made millions.
And he’s clever.
Because the interviews he
gives shows that he has heart
he wants to find the right girl
and he’ll treat them well.
Every single little
girl out there is like
“Please let it be me.
Let it be me.” They love him.
I do not have a girlfriend.
I’m single and ready
to mingle. Party.
So it’s partly luck, what
he has, his talent as well.
But also, he manages it well
which is really clever
considering he’s so young.
(Shirley)
The way Scooter
described the way, um..
…Justin deals with these,
like, very adult situations
is that once a week
he has a conference call
with his business manager,
his lawyer
and any other person who’s
involved in his business
and they explain stuff to him.
And even if it
takes five tries of
“you sing it this way
and sing it that way”
it’s all about making Justin
understand what’s happening.
So he’s-he’s involved.
You know,
he’s not just a puppet
that they control
every move that he makes.
He’s very much in control
of his own career
and that’s very different
from teen pop stars
that we’ve seen previously.
But it is a lot of pressure
to put on a kid, you know
um, who is from Canada
who didn’t grow up
in this country.
There’s a lot that I feel
he has to deal with that
you almost wish that the
business manager or the attorney
or the manager would
take care of for him.
But I like that he’s so
insistent on being involved.
You know, it really shows
a maturity beyond his years.
(Martel)
Justin’s mom Pattie
agreed that Scooter Braun
could come onboard as manager
only because he gave
her his word
he would be protected.
And Justin’s slightly more
of a man of the world
than he was when he started out.
He was young.
His mother was absolutely
terrified he was going to be
the next child star
who went off the rails.
(Steve)
Justin gives, you know,
a ton of credit to Scooter
uh, for putting
everything together
you know, in his words.
And, you know, Usher’s kinda
taught him a little bit.
how to finesse,
you know, sort of lingo
he calls Scooter Braun
a beast
you know, the brains
of the operation.
(Martel)
She said to Scooter,
“You look after my boy.”
And she’s very much
involved with making sure
she knows everyone,
the team around him.
She knows the voice coach,
the stylist
the managers,
the A&R guys.
She knows them tightly,
trusts them
knows that they want
the best for her son.
Obviously, his mother
is still there following
in her skinny jeans
and high heels the whole time.
Um, you know,
he’s got, uh, you know..
Obviously, Usher still plays
a huge role in, you know
not only dictating
musical direction
but, you know, just kind of..
I guess he’s Justin in between
where he stands possibly
right now is like a teen idol
you know, like
what Usher used to be
what Justin Timberlake
used to be.
And what can lead
to longevity which
whether it’s a matter
of dressing a certain way
a matter of speaking a certain
way or just a matter of music
they’re helping him, kind of,
you know, get from beyond being
you know, that kid who’s
still from Stratford, Ontario.
His people are around
him at all times.
Again, you know,
because he’s younger
they do a good job at,
I won’t say isolating him
but they do a very good
job at surrounding him.
You know, obviously it’s
something where it’s almost like
for example, child actors
who have to be homeschooled.
They have to have a certain
amount of time on the set.
For Bieber, a lot
of his education
is just in a
very different medium.
It’s in dealing with the media,
dealing with publicity
dealing with everything
that comes around him.
You see that from
the bodyguards.
You see a different rapport,
the way they watch out for him
almost looks more like,
not babysitter, but definitely
there’s a sort
of guardianship role.
I think his team can
only control so much.
You know, they can’t
control his Twitter.
He is allowed to
tweet whatever he wants.
And I think they’ve seen the
adverse effects of his Twitter.
Sometimes it’s like
a Kim Kardashian thing
where people just
like wig out.
Sometimes it’s like what
happened at Roosevelt Field
where there was a riot.
And even Justin’s
attempt to calm
the crazy crowd only sort
of, like, excited them more.
So I think, like, they can’t be
like, ” No, you can’t do that.
You can’t tweet that.
You can’t say that.”
I think he’s still
an independent thinker.
But I think they give him
a lot of advice. Solid advice.
I think they guide him
towards certain things.
I think they had
a lot to do with his image
like the way that he
actually dresses and looks
and they made him a little more
urban and a little less pop
and those were all conscious
decisions that I think.
(female narrator)
In January 2010,
the single “Baby” was released
from his debut album
“My World 2.0.”
The song featured
rapper Ludacris
and became an instant
international hit.
It charted at number five
on the US Billboard Hot 100
peaked at number three
on the Canadian Hot 100
and reached the top ten
in many other countries.
(Martel)
Could anybody have
imagined it would go on
to get a billion
hits on YouTube?
Some people voted it
the most annoying video
they’d ever seen on YouTube
but ultimately, people
will always have a gripe.
You know what? There’s a lot of
jealousy around Justin Bieber.
Because it looks
like he got everything
handed to him on
a plate, but hello.
You know he’s got the talent.
Pretty simple lyrics
that use the word “baby”
an awful lot of times
but you know, every young
girl wants to be his baby.
It was amazing, it took like
five seconds though and I had
I was waiting since
Wednesday sleeping over
but, I don’t know, I love him.
‘I said, “Can I have a hug?”
He was like, “Of course.”‘
He grabbed…he was like,
he grabbed my waist and like
oh, my God, it was just amazing.
I love him so much.
[crying]
Like, it’s when, like, he,
I walked up to him
he put his arm around me,
I just, I couldn’t, like
it’s so crazy. He just touched
me. He was talking to me and..
It was only like two seconds,
but it felt like five minutes.
Like, oh, my God. And I didn’t
think I would be like this.
But it’s crazy.
♪ Baby, baby, baby no-o-o ♪
♪ Like baby, baby, baby ooh ♪
♪ I thought you’d
always be mine ♪♪
And the tune was catchy.
It sticks there all the time.
And ultimately, that’s what
really made him a huge star
by having a simple, catchy tune.
And he had the likes of,
you know
huge pop stars like Rihanna
wanting to be his mate.
Imagine being Justin Bieber.
Rihanna wants to be his mate.
♪ Like baby, baby, baby ooh ♪
♪ I thought you’d
always be mine ♪
♪ Oh, for you I would
have done whatever ♪
♪ And I just can’t
believe we ain’t together ♪
♪ And I gotta play it cool
but I’m losing you ♪
♪ I’ll buy you anything.. ♪♪
(female narrator)
The album debuted at number one
on the US Billboard 200
making Justin Bieber
the youngest solo male act
to top the chart since
Stevie Wonder in 1963.
At the young age of being 15
and going through this
process has been fun.
Um, and I mean, I miss my
friends and family back home
but this is definitely
all worth it.
(Ian)
“My World 2.0,” um, you know..
…just the name of it, just..
…it’s, it’s a very
fitting name
because, you know,
2.0. What’s that?
You know, it’s just once
again playing up the idea that
Justin Bieber is kind of his own
sort of, like, meta-celebrity.
And you know, the response
is like, once again, you know
his fans still going nuts for
it. It sold a ton of copies.
It feels great. I love all my
fans. They’ve been incredible.
Um, last year, the Kids’
Choice Awards was my first
award show I’ve ever gone to,
and it’s been amazing.
The world just had
to come around to his music.
It’s kinda interesting. Usually,
it’s the other way around.
It’s like, this is a great song.
Now I’m gonna discover it.
It’s like, the world had to pay
attention because he’s so big.
One thing that Scooter Braun
has done very well
is he’s chosen the right
music for him, the right songs.
Songs that don’t
sound too juvenile.
You know, that have a little
bit more sophistication
that could be an adult song
if it was sung by an adult.
It could be said that Justin
Bieber is just a little cute guy
who, you know, does
a little cutie pop music
and soon he’ll get older
and his voice will change
and people will
forget about him.
That could be said.
However, I don’t believe that.
I don’t believe that.
I think that that kid has
some real talent, he can sing.
I know he can play
a couple of instruments.
I think that, uh, that we
have yet to see the best of
little Mr. Justin Bieber.
So watch out for that dude.
Once somebody gives him some,
like, really tangible records
you know, the kind of records
that stick, that stay around
I think he can be a force
to be reckoned with.
And what you see is,
like, people, you know
you know whether it’s like
critics, whether it’s papa
you know, pop-talking
heads or things like that
um, they just wanna
kinda figure out
like, what’s going
on here, you know?
We’ve reached
somewhat of a point where
being clueless on pop culture
is a greater sin than
like liking pop culture.
So, rather than just say,
“Okay this is just pop fluff”
you know, or it’s
just like kiddy music
people wanna like dig and see
what’s behind it, you know.
What’s happening here
and what’s this mean for us?
What’s this mean for the
internet, the record industry?
I mean, he’s-he’s definitely
doing his thing right now.
I mean, it’s-it’s-it’s..
I’m not counting him out
for what he’s doing
but I mean, it’s where
we all grew up.
When he gets a little older,
like, check for Justin at 19.
I think with TV and the press
and the record companies
everybody who’s sort of, um,
watching the Justin Bieber
phenomenon happen, they
had to learn how to cover it
how to incorporate it,
whether it’s into their playlist
or into their coverage
or into their editorial.
Everybody had to
come around to him
because he’s such an undeniable
force in pop culture.
Well, you know, having, um..
…that type of talent,
it was destined to happen.
I just really wanted to be a
positive influence and lead him
in the right direction
and, uh, it worked, you know.
Uh, true talent
is what matters in the end.
And he has it, and tonight
he’s gonna showcase that.
Tell them about you singing to
Nicole from the Pussycat Dolls.
Yeah, I sang to Nicole
from the Pussycat Dolls.
That was an amazing moment.
[all laughing]
It was hard to take my eyes
off her. She’s so gorgeous.
See, there’s something
here for everyone.
Maybe in a few years, I..
(male #2)
‘Did you get
her telephone number?’
I didn’t, but Akon’s gonna
help me out with that number.
[all laughing]
I got that part.
The critical
reception for someone
who’s as popular as he is
has actually been very strong.
I mean, he’s got
mostly positive reviews.
As we talked about with YouTube,
there’s gonna be some backlash
there’s gonna be some people
who don’t wanna like it.
But first of all, if you look
at the producers
they’ve teamed him with,
they wouldn’t let him put out
anything that
was of poor quality.
I mean, there’s a huge machine
behind this at this point.
I mean, from the fact
that Usher wanted to sign him
and Scooter Braun going
to Canada to find him
I mean, they envisioned
him as a star all along.
So there’d never
be anything less
than the finest quality
that surrounded him.
Again, this comes back to
the fact that he has talent.
You surround that
machine with the talent
you’d expect it to be good.
Critics have responded to it.
And I-I think that because he
has such a soul influence too
which is a very likable style,
you know, he kinda melds
soul and hip-hop, and again, he
just seems like a likable kid.
You know, so it’s..
There maybe 18-year-old guys
who can’t stand him
for obvious reasons
but, I mean, you know, no one
criticized, for example
when he was nominated for best
new artist at the Grammy’s.
‘I don’t think anybody would
have been surprised if he won.’
[instrumental music]
In late 2010
rumors were circulating
in the showbiz world
that a documentary capturing
Justin’s rise to fame
would be released
the following year.
Sure enough,
on February 11th, 2011
a 3D part biopic,
part concert film
entitled “Justin Bieber:
Never Say Never”
was released.
It topped the box office
with an estimated gross
of 12.4 million dollars
on its opening day.
The film grossed a total
of 30.3 million dollars
on its opening weekend.
I’m excited. My fans are really
supportive, really amazing
and hopefully they.. I wish
all of them could come in
but you can’t let everyone in.
(male reporter)
‘What are they expecting?’
They’re gonna expect
it’s a great time
and, uh,
very inspirational time.
I mean, one, I think you’re
gonna have a really good time.
You go with friends, with people
that don’t like Justin Bieber
don’t know anything about him
or know everything and love him.
I think everyone’s gonna
have a good time.
And they’re gonna come out
respecting what he does.
I thought that the movie was,
like, awesome and inspiring
and really well done
and, you know
something that you might
have maybe came into it
with a little bit
of hesitation
and you walked out, like,
completely just devout.
I heard him recording and
working with different producers
and writers before
he’d grown up.
And I could see that
he was talented from then.
Didn’t know he was gonna be
quite as crazy as he’s now
‘but the fact that he’s always
kinda been speaking’
‘in every show and stuff
he’s been doing.’
‘playing Ray Davies’ music.’
‘I love his albums. This was
supposed to be a surprise.’
‘I was supposed to come and see
him backstage, say “Hi, Justin.’
‘How are you?” just wanted
to say you’re in town’
I think it’s better to meet
on the carpet
but he’s a very humble,
modest human being.
who’s handling craziest
of success..
I mean, he’s the biggest artist
in the world right now. Period.
And it’s funny, my 13-year-old
niece, uh, you know
claimed to not be a fan
because it wasn’t cool.
‘She went and saw the movie.
She went and saw it twice.’
‘”Oh, my friend just
wanted to see it.’
‘That’s why I had to go
see it again.”‘
But it became an event for kids,
became something they had to do.
And I think that, you know..
Look at how,
if you’re in school..
…and you’re at school
on Monday
‘and all of your friends
have gone to see the movie’
‘whether it’s “Star Wars”
or “E.T.”‘
‘whether it’s “Never Say Never,”
doesn’t matter’
‘you want to be part
of the conversation.’
‘With the fact it did so well,
it became an event’
‘that everybody wanted
to participate.’
I think he has to just
embrace the moment
because for all the advice
you can give..
And got Usher who’s
mentoring him as well
‘he’s someone who knows
the game inside out.’
‘He’s got a great
management team.’
‘For him to be able to do
a film and dance like that–‘
[crowd cheering]
‘But for him to do all
of that in one go’
‘and handle it the way he does,
you can’t buy that.’
‘That’s a quality
you’re born with.’
‘You can’t teach that
to someone.’
I think for him, he’s taken
it in his stride because
he can handle pressure.
And he’s been to big stages
and handled it. No doubt.
I remember he was
playing one time..
…it wasn’t the Grammy’s,
but something very similar
one of the drumsticks flew off
as he was playing.
At that point, he could’ve
lost the whole plot
and be like
“what do I do?”
Carried on, kept it moving,
found his stick, got it..
And you’re thinking,
“this guy’s sick.”
So, I’m happy for him.
(Martel Maxwell)
‘Releasing “Never Say Never”
was dynamite’
‘in terms of marketeering
for Justin Bieber’
because it was a huge success
and all of a sudden,
these girls felt
‘I mean, very much
had the feel’
‘they were being let
into his heart’
‘let into his bedroom, seeing
his rise from zero to hero’
‘and they watched him
every step of the way.’
‘And it was incredibly moving’
‘when you saw what
he had come from’
‘and it was actually all
manufactured by his people.’
‘So it wasn’t a documentary
exposing him’
it was a documentary showing
the nicest possible side.
That’s a marketer’s dream.
It is. I mean, it will be tough
for anyone to have cameras
come into your life.
We had a little rough patch
in the beginning
but I think
when we started
I was like, “I’m not
doing a reality show.
We don’t want this to be cheap.
I want you to be real, honest.”
Once we got past that,
it was all good.
It was like “Almost Famous.”
I got to hang around in the bus.
Sleep with, uh.. in the bus, and
hang out with him at odd hours
‘and just talk about life.’
‘It showed me there’s no such
thing as overnight success.’
That he works
his butt off every day.
He doesn’t just appear
on a magazine.
He has to fight for that.
Fans don’t just appear.
He has to fight for every single
one, and he understands that.
How’d you feel about
your UK fans?
Whom would you like to work
with in the UK?
I really love all my fans here.
They’ve all been incredible.
And really supportive.
I’m really into Jessie J.
Um, yeah.
He invited me last night.
How you doin’, love?
And I thought, “you know what?
I’m a supporter of people
that work hard and succeed.”
And he’s so young..
It’s getting like mental now.
I’m a supporter of that.
‘I want to inspire young people
to be who they are’
and, you know,
he’s definitely that.
I said if one day I could make
a film about my Essex upbringing
and all that, then
I’d love to but..
…but with all of his hair,
he’s quite epic.
‘Oh, yeah. He’s very smooth.
He’s a smooth operator.’
He will sit in his table.. Look
at him taking his jacket off.
But, yeah. I think he’s cool.
He’s a cool kid.
He’s just living his dream and
if it’s inspiring these people
‘then you can’t be doing
anything wrong.’
[instrumental music]
That same year
Justin broke the hearts of many
of his young female fans
when he started dating singer
and actress Selena Gomez.
Gomez received death threats
on her Twitter account
after their relationship
went public.
(Martel Maxwell)
‘Poor Selena Gomez, at one time
she was the most hated girl’
‘in the world.’
‘Because all those young fans
were sending her hate mail’
‘and death threats.’
Because they feel they have a
belonging, not just a belonging
‘but own Justin Bieber.’
‘When you know somebody’s back
story well as we know Justin’s’
‘you feel that you have
a right to their life.’
‘So when Selena Gomez comes in
as a gorgeous girl’
‘she’s a little bit older,
a vixen..’
‘…trying to poison him
and steal his heart.’
‘Poor girl. She’ll get stones
thrown at her when she goes’
‘um, outside.’
He’s really into her.
They’re not shy about
sort of showing their
public display of affection
which most teen-pop couples are
um, which I think
is really cool.
‘You know, they’ve been
to events together.’
‘They have walked
the red carpet together’
‘at the Vanity Fair
Oscar party.’
(Ian Cohen)
‘The thing is with Selena Gomez,
I think it sorta helps him’
‘you know, as much as you want
to say, like, oh, you know’
‘for the sake of popularity
with his teen female fans’
‘he should always try
to be single’
or at least appear that way.
But I think that his
relationship with Selena
‘who while she’s not
at his level’
in terms of
pop culture ubiquity.’
‘If you were to say, okay, who’s
like kinda the equivalent..’
‘Like who’s the teen-pop, you
know, like cross-over movie’
‘slash, you know, music..’
‘Selena Gomez
may be that.’
‘Well, that sort of thing can’
‘cynically be seen as an
arranged marriage, so to speak.’
‘Um, you get the feeling the two
actually kinda like each other.’
How many people can really
relate to Justin Bieber
or Selena Gomez? I mean,
he’d have to think about that
‘it’s not just like
a thing of convenience.’
‘It’s more just like what can
you talk about Justin Bieber’
‘considering the life he lives.’
‘It really helps kinda
humanize him, I would say’
‘to have this sort of
high profile relationship.’
(female reporter)
‘Your relationship with Justin
has been a hot topic lately’
‘can you tell me which Justin
Bieber song is your favorite?’
(Selena laughing)
My favorite song
changes every day.
Uh, right now it’s probably “Up”
or “Never Let you Go.”
(Shirley Halperin)
‘And there were some really
cute moments at the VMA.’
‘With the two of them.’
‘Selena Gomez was the special
correspondent for MTV.’
Of course, everyone knew she was
going to have to interview
her boyfriend Justin Bieber.
Just before they did
the interview
actually I was like standing
just a few feet away.
‘He had brought his snake
with him to the VMA’
‘to the red carpet, and his
snake was named Johnson.’
[chuckling]
‘Selena Gomez, her first
reaction to seeing him’
‘because she hadn’t seen him
until that point apparently’
‘was “why did you bring him
to the carpet?’
‘It was such a cute, like,
coupley moment’
you know, that wasn’t on tape
and it didn’t air
but, you know,
I just happened to catch it.
I just thought that was like
“They’re like a real couple.”
Where the girlfriend
would be like
“Why the hell did you
bring that with you?”
‘But they seem, you know,
really like in love’
‘and into each other’
‘and clearly not afraid
to show it’
‘which I think is
really refreshing.’
[instrumental music]
Alright.
Justin Bieber will be here very
soon. It’s nearly show time.
So if you’re ready for Bieber,
make some noise.
[crowd cheering]
‘Because he’ll see you
in just a few minutes.’
Ten, nine, eight, seven
six, five, four, three
two, one.
Yes, my fans are amazing.
Tell ’em I love ’em so much.
And thank you for supporting my
“Under The Mistletoe” album.
Now, Justin, your new album
“Under The Mistletoe’s” out.
For the people that haven’t
actually got it
I’m sure that none
of them are here.
Tell us a bit more
about the record.
“Under The Mistletoe”
is really cool
because there is a lot
of old Christmas music..
[loud cheering]
…so hopefully we’ll make
some classics
so people will listen
to ’em for a long time.
You wrote/co-produced
a lot of the records.
Want to tell us more
about that?
Yeah, I got to work with
a lotta cool people.
Boyz II Men, Chris Brown,
Mariah Carey
‘Busta Rhymes and so..’
‘You had a great time already.’
What’s one of your favorite
things about London?’
Favorite part about London
is all the girls.
[crowd screaming]
He’s got number four.
It’s the right thing to say.
The people from Westboro
because there are so many shops
and so many places to buy
the best things in the world.
They want to know what’s on
your Christmas wishlist.
My Christmas wishlist, I mean,
I don’t really have anything.
I just want to go home
and be with my family.
Do you have a Christmas message
for all your fans out here?
I wanna say thank you guys
so much for coming.
I wanna wish everybody merry
Christmas and happy holidays.
And I love you guys very much.
Are you gonna be touring UK
anytime soon by any chance?
Hopefully. We’re actually
working on a new album..
[indistinct]
Are you guys excited about
the new album from this man?
In late 2011,
Justin began recording
his third studio album
entitled “Believe.”
Justin appeared on
the “Ellen DeGeneres Show”
to announce
that the first single
would be called “Boyfriend”
and would be released
on March 26, 2012.
The song debuted at number two
on the US Billboard
top 100 chart
selling a total of
521,000 digital downloads.
“Believe” was released
on June 19, 2012.
I believe in,
um, you know myself.
I believe,
um, in my dreams.
I believe that,
um, you know, in God.
I think that the title “Believe”
is so inspiring
and I think a lot of people
are gonna be able to
say what do I believe in
and it gives them hope
and inspiration, and I think
that’s really special.
The album marked
a musical departure
from the teen pop sound
of his previous releases
and incorporated elements
of dance, pop, and R&B.
Intent on developing
a more mature sound
Justin collaborated
with a wide range
of urban producers.
“Believe” is definitely
a little different.
It has some of the same sounds,
but it’s also more mature album.
You know, I’m growing up
as well as my fans.
And I think it’s time that,
you know, I add something new.
And so I think that
with this album
I wanna try to get more fans,
older fans, guy fans, girl fans.
I wanna just, you know,
just grow as an artist.
Um, with me, you know,
I like dance music.
I like, um, you know,
I like R&B
but I usually, you know,
you have to separate them.
So I have my dance songs
and then I have my, you know,
slow R&B songs.
The way I do things, it’s like,
I try to like, um, you know
do it, you know, what people
like, but just do it better.
And so basically, I try to find
the right writers
and the right producers
to help me..
You know, if I like a sound
or if I like a song
I’ll be like, “I like this,
but I wanna make it different
and better and add something new
to it,” so that’s what I do.
Justin Timberlake
is definitely someone
who was in the game
for a long time
and I’m sure
if he came out with an album
he would,
you know, do amazing.
So he’s someone
who I look up to.
Usher as well,
who is my mentor.
He’s someone who I look up to,
and these are people
that have paved the way
for young artists like myself.
So definitely give them, you
know, the credit they deserve.
(female narrator)
2012 was the year everyone
in Hollywood circle
was speculating about Justin
and Selena’s relationship.
Rumors were starting
to circulate
that the two teen superstars
were going through
a turbulent time
in their relationship.
(Kevin Hughes)
Young love is tempestuous
and it’s turbulent
at the best of times.
When you’re Justin Bieber
and Selena Gomez
you’ve got one huge problem.
The whole world is watching
your relationship
and they want to know
every single detail.
Justin Bieber got himself
into hot water
when he cast an actress
called Chanel Celaya
to perform basically
and appear in his music video
for “As Long As You Love Me.”
There were several posts
coming from gossip columnists
from the websites,
those in the know
that Justin had been spending
a little bit too much time
with Chanel on set, that they
were getting on rather well.
There’s rumors that Selena found
racy text messages
from him to Chanel, her to him
on his mobile phone
and that was the beginning
of the end of the relationship.
I think the media loved
the fact they had a great story
in Selena and Justin
sold magazines, they sold
newspapers around the world.
Stories about those two
went worldwide
but you have to also remember
they were incredibly young
and there were millions,
I mean, millions of young girls
in the world who wanted to be
on Justin Bieber’s arm.
There were millions of girls
around the world thinking
“Yes, Justin Bieber’s
a single man.”
Selena, unfortunately..
(female narrator)
On October 3rd, 2013,
Justin announced that
he would release a new song
every Monday for 10 weeks
as a lead up to the film,
“Justin Bieber’s Believe”
which entered production
in May 2012
and was released on
December 25, 2013.
The film was a followup
to “Never Say Never”
and John Chu
returned to direct.
The film grossed $3.1 million
during it’s first three days
and was projected to generate
$4.5 million in ticket sales
during it’s five-day debut.
After all ten songs
were released
it was announced that
all ten songs would feature
on an upcoming album
called “Journals.”
It reportedly featured five
additional unreleased songs.
Although the album
was rush released
to gain advantage of
the sales rush before Christmas
the album
was commercially successful.
It appeared at number 46
on the UK album charts.
Justin’s lowest peak position
on that chart.
However, the album did better
on the UK’s R&B album chart
reaching number three.
The single “Confident”
was released
on December 9, 2013.
The video features Justin
dancing in a warehouse
surrounded by other dancers.
The love narrative involves
Justin following
a gorgeous woman
throughout the video
until they eventually meet up
and kiss against a car
at the end of the video.
♪ She’s confident ♪
♪ Oh, no, no, oh, no, no ♪
♪ She’s confident ♪
♪ Oh, no, no, oh, no, no
And I’m down with it ♪
♪ Oh, no, no, oh, no, no
She’s confident ♪
♪ You could tell by the way
she walks in the room ♪♪
The album was met with
generally positive reviews
from music critics.
After the release of “Journals”
it seemed that past loves
were still very much at
the forefront of Justin’s mind.
In early 2014,
at Scooter Braun’s
“Sunday Funday Showcase”
held in Austin, Texas
Justin dedicated his
performance of his hit song
“As Long As You Love Me”
to Selena Gomez.
♪ As long as you love me ♪
♪ As long as you love me ♪
♪ We could be starving ♪
♪ We could be homeless
We could be broke ♪
♪ As long as you love me ♪
♪ I’ll be your platinum ♪
♪ I’ll be your silver
And I’ll be your gold ♪
♪ As long as you ♪
♪ Lo-lo-lo-lo-lo-love me ♪
♪ As long as you
lo-lo-lo-lo-lo-love me ♪
♪ Love me ♪
♪ I don’t know
if this makes sense but ♪
(all)
♪ You’re my hallelujah ♪
♪ Give me a time and place ♪
♪ I’ll rendezvous it
I’ll fly you to it ♪
♪ I’ll beat you there
Girl you know I got you ♪
♪ Us ♪
♪ Trust ♪
♪ A couple of things
I can’t spell without ‘U’ ♪
♪ ‘Cause we are on
top of the world ♪
♪ ‘Cause that’s just how we do ♪
♪ Used to tell me,
“Sky’s the limit” ♪
♪ Now the sky’s
our point of view ♪
♪ Now we stepping out
like, “Oh, God” ♪
♪ Cameras point and shoot
Ask me what’s my best side ♪
♪ I stand back
and point at you ♪
♪ You, you the one
that I argue with ♪
♪ I feel like I need a new one
to be bothered with ♪
♪ But the grass ain’t always
greener on the other side ♪
♪ It’s green where you water it
So I know we got issues baby ♪
♪ True true true but I’d rather
work on this with you ♪
♪ Than to go ahead
and start with someone new ♪
♪ As long as you love me
We could be starving ♪
♪ We could be homeless
we could be broke ♪
♪ As long as you love me ♪
♪ I’ll be your platinum ♪
♪ I’ll be your silver,
I’ll be your gold ♪
♪ As long as you
lo-lo-lo-lo-lo ♪
♪ That’s all I need
yeah yeah yeah yeah ♪
♪ Yeah yeah yeah ♪
♪ As long as you love me ♪
♪ Yeah yeah yeah ♪
♪ As long as you love me ♪♪
[all cheering]
(female narrator)
2014 was the year
in which Justin’s personal
and professional image
would start to diminish.
For a long time,
there was a guy who looked like
he was never gonna flame out,
like he was on top of the world
and damn, when he flamed out
it happened in, you know
as massive a way
as you can imagine.
(female narrator)
On January 23rd, 2014
Justin was arrested
in Miami Beach
on suspicion of driving
under the influence.
The Miami police stated that
Justin had told authorities
he had consumed alcohol,
smoked marijuana
and taken prescription drugs.
He was released
on a $2500 bond.
A toxicology report later
revealed that Justin had THC
and the anti-anxiety medication
Xanax in his system
at the time of his arrest.
This was the first in a series
of negative events
surrounding Justin Bieber.
There have been some cracks
in his very, um,
well put together facade
that is Justin Bieber.
And I think though that what
that kinds shows is, you know
Justin, like anybody else,
has a limit of what he can take
and fans that are grabbing
at him and trying to touch him
every single day of his life
does get to him sometimes
and even though he’s a great guy
and everyone likes him
there are moments when he snaps.
And I think it would be silly
not to think
about the tremendous pressure
he’s under.
(female narrator)
On January 29, 2014
Justin turned himself
into a Toronto Police Station
and was charged with assault
for an attack
on a limousine driver.
A Toronto police source
confirmed
that Justin had arrived at the
police station at about 7 p.m.
and was finger printed,
photographed and released
with a note to appear in court.
According to police sources,
during the journey
Justin and the driver
got into an altercation
during which Justin
struck the driver
on the back of the head
several times.
The driver reportedly responded
by stopping the limo
and calling the police.
However,
Justin had left the scene
before police arrived.
The latest of
the negative events
surrounding Justin
occurred in mid 2014
when Justin appeared on camera
telling a racist joke.
As the video
started to surface online
Justin received hate mail
and a huge amount
of negative press.
His mentor, Usher,
quickly came
to the defense of Justin
stating
“At my core, I am a person
that supports growth
“and understands
without judgment
“that growth often comes
as a result of pain
“and continued effort.
“As I’ve watched Justin Bieber
navigate difficult waters
“as a young man, I can tell you
that he hasn’t always chosen
“the path
of his greatest potential
but that he is unequivocally
not a racist.”
And no matter
what he has going for him
there are gonna be moments
when he loses it.
And it has happened, and it
probably will continue to happen
but hopefully he has the support
of people around him
that they will be able
to take care of it.
They’ve done a good job
of handling it
It’s one of those things you do
the best you can with it.
I think it’s part of being
followed 24 hours a day.
Most people wouldn’t have
any idea how to deal with it.
(Justin Bieber)
Um, fame, you know
you have to, you have to know
how to handle it.
You have to handle it
in the right way.
You have to know
who to allow in
and, um, you know, the people
that you surround yourself
is really important because,
you know, I have a great team
surrounding me
that keeps me humble
and that’s what, I mean,
that’s what is important to me.
(female narrator)
As a result of
all the negative press
that was surrounding Justin
he was purged from sin
after a priest baptized him
in a bathtub following his
recent racist video.
The singer turned to religion
to prevent
any further offenses.
Justin reportedly attended
church services
and studied Bible passages
before his baptism
performed in the bath
of one of his friends
a religious rite
that symbolizes
purification or regeneration
and admission
to the Christian church.
Justin Bieber has had a path
to super stardom like no other.
He was discovered off YouTube
at the age of just 12.
And two years later, he was
releasing multi-platinum albums
and making millions of dollars.
Let’s not forget this guy’s
not just been lucky.
If you listen to him,
really listen to him
you’ll see that there’s
not a voice like that
of his age group around.
(Steve Baltin)
To get to that level of success
you have to want it that badly
because if you look at
everything that comes with it
there’s a lot
that comes with it.
Whether it’s all the attention,
whether it’s the fame
whether it’s the scrutiny,
whether it’s the paparazzi
especially in this day and age,
the paparazzi.
Whether it’s the people
badmouthing you online.
There’s so much
that comes with it.
You have to want it
to do that.
He’s proven he’s willing to put
up with it because he wanted it.
(female narrator)
His story has been one of
triumph and controversy.
But above all, defying the odds
to succeed.
(Shirley Halperin)
I think he has
the infrastructure
and the team
and the support
the goodwill of his
record company and of his fans
to take him, you know,
to the next level. Yeah.
(female narrator)
He’s the kid
who came from nowhere
but would end up as
the biggest star on the planet.
I come from the smallest town
in the world
of, like, 30,000 people.
I never thought
this was possible.
He just really inspired
and caught the public mood.
Girls wanted a new hero.
And Justin Bieber,
he was that man.
He had music in him.
He says it was a gift from God.
[instrumental music]