Justin Drew Bieber is a Canadian singer and teen idol whose fresh-faced good looks and appealing pop songs ignited a global craze beginning in 2009. His first album, My World, went platinum and his subsequent musical collaboration with Luis Fonsi on the hit song Despacito broke the record for most consecutive weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100. In addition to music, Bieber has also achieved success as a model and actor. He has starred in several critically acclaimed films and has been featured on multiple U.S. talk shows, including The Ellen DeGeneres Show and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.
Bieber’s interest in music began at a young age. He was raised by his mother in Stratford, Ontario, Canada, and learned to play drums, piano, and guitar. After placing second in a local singing competition, his mother encouraged him to continue his pursuit of a career in music. She recorded him singing popular rhythm-and-blues (R&B) songs and uploaded them to the Web site YouTube for friends and family members who were unable to attend his performances.
After gaining significant popularity in the United States, Bieber signed a recording contract with Def Jam Recordings. His debut single, “One Less Lonely Girl,” appeared on the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 in early 2010. He has since released three more studio albums, including the Grammy-winning album Purpose (2015) and its first two number one singles, What Do You Mean? and Believe. He has collaborated with a variety of artists, most notably Ed Sheeran on the chart-topping single I Don’t Care and Skrillex and Diplo on the summer dance anthem Where Are U Now.
Aside from his music career, Bieber has gained recognition for his philanthropic efforts. He has supported various charities and has visited children in hospitalized units and soldiers on active duty. He has also addressed social injustices in communities around the world, including earthquake-torn Haiti and post-Katrina New Orleans.
In 2019, he launched his own clothing line, Just Bieber, and a limited-edition line of Vespa scooters in collaboration with the Italian brand. Bieber is currently starring as the lead character in the 2022 NBC drama series The Four, and has made guest appearances on numerous other television shows, including the hit U.S. comedy series The Inbetweeners 2.
In February 2022, he announced that he was taking a break from performing due to paralysis on the side of his face caused by Ramsay Hunt syndrome. In June of the same year, he was named as one of Forbes’s 30 Under 30, a list that highlights some of the most influential people under the age of 30. In the same month, he teamed up with Timbits to release 3 new flavours of the popular breakfast snack and released a special edition Vespa scooter titled the ‘Justin Bieber X VESPA’. This was the latest of many collaborations between Bieber and a wide range of brands. The same month, he was also named as an ambassador of the Canadian non-profit organization Free the Children, for their Be a Hero campaign.