I am almost exactly half the age of the most important artist to the bottom line success of the international music industry. Sixteen year old Justin Bieber is the latest in a long line of fresh scrubbed pop idols to hit the pop music. He’s every bit of Frankie Avalon, David Cassidy, Leif Garrett, Joe McIntyre and Justin Timberlake all rolled into one.
However, last time I checked, none of these artists had a platinum selling EP in one of the music industry’s lowest selling years across the board. Bieber’s no gimmick, a prodigious child progeny of the Myspace and Youtube era, his songs and musical knowledge made available, unfettered for anyone and everyone worldwide to appreciate. The young man was taken in and mentored by none other than Usher, who, if we can remember was 16 when his debut solo album dropped, and was just as fresh faced and precocious as his Canadian protege.
Bieber’s 2009 hit debut single “One Time” may have been my unabashed favorite pop radio song of the year. Written mainly by Tricky Stewart and The-Dream, with production credits including those of vocal arranger Kuk Harrell, there’s no doubt that there’s an uneven mix of studio know how and youthful innocence with a soul inflection at work here, but there’s something truly special and vulnerable in Bieber’s voice that in this journalist’s mind, as well as the minds of millions of teens and pre-teens worldwide is the building block of a legendary career. Youtube clips of the young man doing a guitar friendly reworking of Kanye’s “Heartless” blended with Justin Timberlake’s “Cry Me a River” certainly prove otherwise.
His latest album, My World 2.0 which drops today features guest spots from Ludacris and Sean Kingston, and positions him quite well to be the leading voice for a brand new generation of music fans, something the record industry desires, a record buying public in need of a new star that speaks to the one population left that is still in awe of superstardom and talent enough to buy an album. Whether a fan of Bieber’s brand of saccharine and heartfelt teeny bopper jams, do realize that this is the breath of fresh air music absolutely needed, and actually take a listen. You may be surprised.
I first saw Justin bieber on chicago Last year the last time I visited my dad. After that, I started following him on TV. I think he’s a really cool guy.