Justin Bieber is one of the most famous and best-selling pop stars in history. His music has sold over 150 million records worldwide, and he has been awarded four Diamond certifications by the RIAA. He is a global cultural icon and has won many awards, including the World’s Youngest Solo Male Artist of the Year from Billboard, two Grammys, an Oscar, a Golden Globe, a Brit Award, 22 MTV Europe Music Awards, and 23 Teen Choice Awards. He has also been named a Top 10 Musical Artist of All Time by Rolling Stone and Forbes, as well as one of the Most Influential People in the World by Time magazine.
At age 12, Bieber participated in a local singing competition and placed second, impressing the crowd with his voice. His mother Mallette posted the video of him on YouTube for their family and friends to see, and it quickly went viral. He began recording more videos of himself singing popular rhythm-and-blues (R&B) songs and accompanying himself on acoustic guitar, and his following continued to grow on the site. By 2013, he had earned the nickname “The Justin Bieber” and was often seen in public with a group of screaming fans.
He resurfaced in 2015 with Purpose, an album that was as notable for the way his now-matured vocals nestled into the spare, giddy beats of tropical house as it was for the spiritual searching outlined in its lyrics. Whether the song is “What Do You Mean?” with its synth flutes and keyboard stabs or the aching piano ballad “Lonely,” each track finds Bieber on a journey not just to find his sound as an adult but also to define for himself what matters most in life.
Bieber continues to expand his horizons, working with directors such as Spike Jonze and Ryan Good on visuals that showcase the star in tranquil settings far away from the clamor of screaming fans and paparazzi. In this striking Icelandic music video, simple yet stunning tracking shots and overhead views of the rocky countryside give an impression that Bieber has found peace here, far from the pressures of his hectic career.
In the end, despite all his highs and lows, Bieber remains true to himself. The new music he’s making, the inspirational messages he posts on Instagram, his deliberately calm demeanor–it all speaks in part to that younger version of himself, the kid who felt like he was drowning and could never be saved. Now, he’s trying to save others, too. “I think about that kid all the time,” he says. “I try to be the person that he would have wanted me to be.”