Justin Bieber blasted onto the music scene in 2009 with his appealing pop songs and fresh-faced looks, becoming a teen idol and attracting pre-adolescent girls. He has since become a worldwide phenomenon with sold-out concerts and numerous chart-topping hits.
He has also made his mark in the film industry, with several short films and starring roles in The Karate Kid and Never Say Never. Bieber’s music career has been bolstered by an impressive string of collaborations with famous recording artists, most notably Usher and Chris Brown.
The young singer grew up in a low-income family in the small town of Stratford, Ontario with his mother, Pattie Mallette, and stepfather Jeremy Bieber. He showed a talent for singing at an early age and began taking drum lessons as well as guitar, piano, and trumpet lessons.
Bieber’s musical abilities led to him being discovered on YouTube by American record industry entrepreneur Scooter Braun, who saw the young singer covering popular pop songs by Usher and Chris Brown on the video-sharing website. The pair formed a partnership and, at the age of 12, Bieber signed his first professional recording contract.
Bieber was a frequent presence on TV, with guest appearances on shows such as Saturday Night Live, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and the Ellen DeGeneres Show. He has also performed at a number of high-profile sporting events, including the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
The singer has also made an impact in the fashion industry with his own line of clothing, Drew House, named after his middle name. The unisex collection of shorts, hoodies, and T-shirts is manufactured ethically in Los Angeles and offers sizes ranging from XS to 2XL.
In late 2011, the teen heartthrob released his debut 3D concert movie, Justin Bieber: Never Say Never, which was seen by tens of thousands of fans at movie theaters around the world. The film was also accompanied by the release of a remix album, Justin Bieber: Never Say Never – The Remixes, featuring remix versions of tracks from his previous albums and new collaborations with other artists.
In the film, Bieber plays a young man whose dream of being a superstar takes him all over the globe. It is a powerful story about finding one’s place in the world, overcoming obstacles and embracing your true self.
The video features a mix of overhead and tracking shots to give the viewer the sense of being immersed in the breathtaking landscape of Iceland. It also captures the singer in his natural state, away from the glamor of Hollywood and the constant attention of fans and paparazzi. In this setting, he is calm and reflective, a far cry from the overwrought persona he has been forced to portray in his other videos. Bieber has said that this video was an attempt to show a more vulnerable side of himself. It was his most challenging and rewarding video to date.