In this day and age, you have probably heard of the name “Justin Bieber” at least once in your life. Beyond the headlines from tabloids and other celebrity articles that surround his name, Bieber is a talented artist who has amassed a large following over the years. His reputation precedes him, but it’s worth noting that he is more than what we see in the media.
Active in the music scene since 2007, Bieber is now a multi-award winning artist with several albums to his name. Though his career started off with a more teen idol image, he has now established a look and sound of his own.
Let’s take a look at Justin Bieber’s life and how he has transformed over the years.
Justin Bieber Profile Summary
- Full Name: Justin Drew Bieber
- Date of birth: 1st of March, 1994
- Profession: Singer, Songwriter and Actor
- Place of birth: London, Ontario, Canada
- Parents: Jeremy Bieber (father), Pattie Mallette (mother)
- Marital status: Married
- Spouse: Hailey Baldwin
Justin Bieber: Early Childhood and Background
Justin Bieber was born in London, Ontario, Canada on March 1, 1994. Raised in Stratford, Ontario, he is the only child of Jeremy Bieber and Pattie Mallette. Notably, the couple never married, and Bieber was raised by his single mother. He also has three younger siblings through his father, and a stepsister from his stepmom. Though he was primarily raised by his mother, Bieber has maintained contact with his father.
In terms of education, the superstar went to the Jeanne Sauvé Catholic School, a French-language immersion elementary school located in Stratford. Then, in 2012, he completed his high school education at the St. Michael Catholic Secondary School.
Music, meanwhile, was very much present early on in Bieber’s life. His youth involved learning how to play several instruments. These include piano, guitar, drums, and trumpet.
How Old is Justin Bieber?
The famous entertainer was born in 1994, so he is currently 26 years old as of this article. For the zodiac aficionados out there, you might be interested to learn that Bieber is a Pisces.
Justin Bieber Professional Career
We know that Justin Bieber showed an inclination towards music early on in his life. But, when exactly did his music career start? Bieber’s musical journey actually kicked off from humble beginnings.
Back in early 2007, the then 12-year old placed second at a local singing competition in Stratford. For said competition, Bieber chose to perform his own rendition of “So Sick” by Ne-Yo. Video footage of the performance was uploaded to YouTube by Bieber’s mother so as to share her son’s talent with friends and family. From there, she continued to upload more and more of Bieber’s musical performances and song covers. The budding star’s popularity inevitably began to gain traction on YouTube.
Discovery by Scooter Braun and Signing to Label
It’s thanks to his mother’s countless efforts and pride that Bieber was later discovered by none other than record executive Scooter Braun. A former marketing executive of So So Def Recordings, Braun stumbled upon Bieber’s videos on YouTube. Interestingly, Braun was actually on the hunt for another singer’s videos on the website. Nevertheless, he was left impressed by Bieber’s talent and soon tracked him down.
Bieber’s mother was initially reluctant to let her son work with Braun, though. However, she was eventually convinced in the end. Thus, Bieber went on his way to Atlanta, Georgia at age 13 to record demo tapes.
Just a week later, Bieber started singing for singer-songwriter Usher. Not long after that, he was signed to Braun and Usher’s join venture, Raymond Braun Media Group (RBMG). Bieber would later be referred to as Usher’s protege.
In October of 2008, with the assistance of Bieber’s then manager Chris Hicks, the young artist was signed to Island Records. This deal resulted in a partnership between RBMG and Island Records. Consequently, Braun took on the role of becoming Bieber’s manager. That same year, Bieber, alongside his mother, relocated to Atlanta to focus more on his music career.
First Release
While still working on his debut album, Bieber released his first single, “One Time,” on radio. “One Time” was an instant hit, both in the United States and the international market. The song not only peaked at number 17 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, it also reached number 12 on the Canadian Hot 100 chart within its first week of release. As a result, “One Time” was certified platinum in both the United States and Canada. It was certified gold, meanwhile, in New Zealand and Australia.
Bieber’s extended play — titled “My World” — was released to worldwide acclaim in November 2009. The seven-track EP spawned successful singles. These include “One Less Lonely Girl,” “Favorite Girl,” and “Love Me.” The aforementioned singles were released exclusively on the iTunes Store. Additionally, they made it to the top 40 of the US Billboard Hot 100.
Further Rise To Fame
Bieber released his debut album, My World 2.0, in January 2010. From the album, he released the hit song “Baby,” which became an international hit. It reached the number five spot on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number three on the Canadian Hot 100.
My World 2.0 garnered generally positive reviews. Debuting at number on the US Billboard 200, it made Bieber one of the youngest solo male artists to top the chart since. The only other solo male act to reach such a feat was Stevie Wonder, and that was back in 1963.
With his popularity growing quickly, it was no surprise that Bieber released his own film. Called Justin Bieber: Never Say Never, it was the superstar’s 3D part-biopic and part-concert film. The movie was released on February 11, 2011.
Justin Bieber: Never Say Never topped the box office and saw an estimated gross of $30.3 million on its opening weekend alone. It later went on to gross a total of over $98 million worldwide. To accompany the film, Bieber released his second release album, Never Say Never — The Remixes.
Change in Musical Sound
Bieber’s third studio album, Believe, marked a notable departure from his early teen pop idol sound. Released in June 2012, the album leaned more towards R&B and dance-pop genres. In order to further develop his sound into a more “mature” image, Bieber chose to collaborate with a wide variety of producers for Believe. Some of these producers include the likes of Diplo and Darkchild.
Debuting at number one on the Billboard 200, Believe went on to become Bieber’s fourth number-one album. The album was a distinct shift in the artist’s musical sound. Regardless of this change, Believe was ultimately received with more praise than criticism overall.
After the success of Believe, Bieber then followed up with Purpose in 2015. From the album, he first released “Where Are Ü Now,” which was a collaboration with EDM duo Jack Ü. Notably, “Where Are Ü Now” gave Bieber his first ever Grammy. For said track, he was able to take home the award for Best Dance Recording at the 2016 Grammy Awards.
“What Do You Mean?” which was the lead single of Purpose, became Bieber’s first number-one single on the Billboard Hot 100. The track features a mix of acoustic R&B, electronic dance music, and teen pop. Another song from Purpose, this time entitled “Sorry,” marked Bieber’s second number-one single on the Billboard Hot 100. Moreover, to further promote Purpose, the singer embarked on a worldwide concert tour.
The Purpose Tour kicked off in Seattle, Washington. However, the remainder of the tour dates were unfortunately called off come July 2017. According to People, Bieber went on to cancel the world tour due to “unforeseen circumstances.”
Justin Bieber Latest Songs
From 2017 to 2019, Bieber went on to collaborate with a wide variety of artists. He worked with the likes of DJ Khaled, David Guetta, Major Lazer, and Ed Sheeran, to name a few. Come 2019, Bieber took to Instagram to announce that he would be taking a break from music. Despite the announcement, he went on to announce that a forthcoming fifth studio album was in the works.
Said album’s first single, “Yummy,” saw a release on January 3, 2020. It debuted at number two on the Billboard Hot 100. Bieber later released the album, entitled Changes, in February 2020. It garnered mixed reviews, though. This was because the album was criticized for its lack of variation and lyricism. Nevertheless, Bieber’s vocal performance received praise and the album became his seventh US number-one album.
In addition to releasing Changes, Bieber also released a 10-episode YouTube Originals series called Seasons. The docu-series chronicled Bieber’s return to music. Additionally, it touched on the artist’s personal struggles, health issues, and drug addiction. The premiere episode of Seasons amassed over 32 million views in its first week alone.
Justin Bieber Lifestyle
As we all know by now, Bieber was under the limelight at a young age. He was thus exposed to the celebrity lifestyle rather early. Due to this, much of his private life became the subject of celebrity headlines. He has indeed enjoyed fame and fortune over the years. But, his success did not come without some issues.
In 2014, Bieber was accused of egging his neighbor’s house. For this incident, the star had to pay a fine of $80,000. In the same year, he was arrested for driving under the influence in Miami.
Bieber has also shown violent tendencies, as evidenced by his attack on a paparazzo back in 2017. According to reports, Bieber struck the photographer with his truck while trying to leave an event in Beverly Hills. It’s due to some of these incidents that the singer inevitably developed a “bad boy” image in the media.
The “Yummy” singer has also admitted to being inspired by black culture. The influence is evident in his personal aesthetic, singing, and performance style. However, Bieber has also acknowledged that he has benefitted from black culture as well — a critique that may ignite negativity in some, considering the racial injustices towards black people today. In light of this, the singer pledged to use his large platform and influence to fight racism, as well as speak up on systemic oppression. Additionally, Bieber apologized for the hurtful comments he made about race when he was younger.
Love Life
Bieber’s love life alone has been the subject of controversy time and time again. In particular, his whirlwind romance with singer and actress, Selena Gomez, consistently made headlines during its duration. The two began dating in December 2010, with the relationship coming and going every now and then.
The infamous on-again-off-again relationship even sparked an Instagram war between the two lovers. In addition to that, there were also pregnancy rumors surrounding their romance. Moreover, Gomez checked into a rehab facility for Lupus during their relationship. This sparked rumors that she was seeking treatment for problems with drugs and Bieber.
There were moments when fans thought the “Jelena” couple would go the distance. Unfortunately for their shippers, the relationship was just not meant to be in the end. The couple ultimately called it quits for good in March 2018.
Justin Bieber Married life
There’s no doubt that his relationship with Selena Gomez was very public and tumultuous. But, today, Bieber is now a happily married man. Exactly when did Justin Bieber get married, though? It’s interesting to note that in spite of his fame, the Justin Bieber wedding ceremony was quite private.
Bieber became engaged to model Hailey Baldwin in July 2018. The two first started dating from December 2015 to January 2016. They later reconnected in May 2018. Later, it was revealed that the two had tied the knot in a civil ceremony by September 2018. The couple eventually held an official ceremony a year after in Bluffton, South Carolina.
Justin Bieber Net Worth
Taking into consideration his various achievements, it should come as no surprise that Bieber has quite the monetary amount to his name. With his sales from albums, tours, endorsement deals, and other business ventures, Bieber reportedly has a net worth of about $285 million. In fact, he has made it to the top ten of Forbes magazine’s annual list of Highest-Paid Celebrities Under 30. He has made an appearance on the list a total of six times thus far, making the cut in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, and 2017.
Justin Bieber wife, Hailey, has quite the net worth of her own as well. Thanks to her modeling contracts and television work, Hailey Baldwin has a personal net worth of about $3 million. It’s certainly not as high as her husband’s, but it is still something to write home about.
Final Thoughts
With everything said and done, it’s quite evident that Bieber continues to be an influential force in the music scene. Controversies and drama aside, he has built a formidable name for himself in the music and entertainment industry. While his image has undergone some changes, underneath his tattooed exterior lies the same talented young boy whose song covers went viral on YouTube.
Love him or hate him, there’s no denying that the young boy — now man — has talent. What he has in store for his “Beliebers” is still a mystery, yet it’s clear that his strong following is here to stay.
