His story has reached near mythical status.
But, by the mid-2000s it was officially cool to like Justin Bieber, according toFast Company.
So great is his influence on culture that the popularity of his 2021 hit “Peaches” promptedThe A.V.
Clubto investigate whether it was increasing sales of the fuzzy fruit.
Read on to learn more about the stunning transformation of a Canuck kid who became a global pop star.
He grew up in Stratford, Ontario, about 90 minutes from Toronto, Canada’s largest city.
It’s a quaint little town of around 31,000 residents, according toStatistics Canada.
His early years were far from idyllic.
But, despite the hardships, the family got by.
“I just loved music.”
Young Justin Bieber knew an opportunity when he saw one.
His musical prowess was already evident and he was, of course, cute as a button.
To no one’s surprise, he was a hit and pulled in a nice chunk of change.
The spot is a now a hallowed piece of Stratford history.
The city even commemorated it with a bronze star, and it’s stop No.
1 on its Bieber-iffic!map.
and still finding its place.
MySpace was where budding artists were spending their time, according toCBC.
But, Justin Bieber was about to help change that.
That year, he was 12 years old, and participated in a local singing contest.
Unfortunately, some of his loved ones missed his performance.
But, he and his mother had a brilliant idea.
Even that is putting it mildly.
By the time he caught the eye of his soon-to-be manager Scooter Braun, he was the No.
2 independent artist on the site, according toThe Guardian.
He didn’t go from zero to 60, he went from zero to 2 million.
By that time, its video had already racked up millions of views on YouTube.
And, what did the nascent superstar think of his overnight success?
“It was really cool going from my webcam to professional videos.”
Little did he know what was to come.
According toThe Guardian, it went on to gross more than $53 million.
All this, and he was still just 17 years old.
Selena Gomez was Justin Bieber’s first love
It was an incredibly down-to-earth first date.
In December 2010, Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez went to a Philadelphia IHOP.
Still, they couldn’t stop talking about each other.
Then, in 2015, Bieber toldAccess Hollywoodabout the breakup, “It was really tough.
To recap: First there was the monkey incident.
Yet, things were about to get much more serious.
In 2014, he was arrested multiple times, theCBCreported.
He was also charged twice with assault.
I think it’s all my journey.
That stuff made me who I am.”
In a 2019Instagrampost, the singer opened up about his substance-abuse problems and what led to them.
He disrespected women, he added, and withdrew from those around him.
Bieber delved further into the subject on his YouTube series “Seasons.”
“People don’t know how serious it got,” he shared.
“It was legit crazy scary.
It just got scary.”
If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction issues, help is available.
Visit theSubstance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration websiteor contact SAMHSA’s National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
But, the singer himself was also in need of some healing.
He managed to achieve both with his 2015 album “Purpose.”
“I’m self-expressing with this album,” he said.
It makes it real."
Would fans still be open to hearing what he had to say?
The answer was a resounding yes.
“Purpose” made its debut atop theBillboard200, his sixth album to make No.
Three of its singles reached the premiere spot as well, with “What Do You Mean?”
being, shockingly, his first No.
1 track ever,Vulturereported.
Critics warmed to the album, including those atRolling StoneandEW, and it earned him another fourGrammynominations.
The critic was right Bieber wouldn’t be able to keep up the charade for much longer.
“With the lifestyle I live, everything is so uncertain,” Bieber toldVogue.
“I need one thing that’s certain.
And that is my baby boo.”
Again, it seems most people did not realize the extent of his troubles.
“Like, man, is this pain ever going to go away?
It was so consistent.”
It’s also important for him to use his platform to support others who are suffering.
At the end, the host urges viewers to keep the family in their prayers.
Faith, namely Christianity, has been a huge part of Bieber’s life since the beginning.
He has spoken about God several times on social media and in interviews.
Which is why a January 2020Instagram postmight have surprised fans.
Instead, he said, he focuses on God and Jesus.
This belief, he said, has brought him “extraordinary peace.”
He’s settled into a quieter life, but that doesn’t mean he’s lost his creative spark.
He released his album “Justice” in March 2021 and it reached No.
1 on the Billboard 200 though Bieber is hoping to accomplish even more with it.
Previously, it belonged to Elvis Presley.
