I Can Explain… Justin Bieber

Justin Bieber; upon the utterance of his name pre-teen girls across the country squeal with glee. But who is he, why is he famous, and why is his hair so long? Don’t worry. I can explain!

Justin Bieber (Pronounced Bee-Bar, though it kind of rhymes with “beaver”) is a 16 year-old R&B singer from Stratford, Ontario. Raised by a single mother, he showed signs of musical talent from a young age, teaching himself how to play the piano, drums, guitar, and trumpet. His mother began to post his vocal and instrumental performances on Youtube.com. Watching the short-haired Justin playing a guitar that seems far too big for his 13-year-old frame, one can see why his videos were watched by so many people, including Scooter Braun. This record producer flew Justin and his mother to Atlanta where he met and impressed Usher. Mentored by Usher, Justin earned a record contract and his first single “One Time” launched his career.

Like the dozens of children artists that came before him, Justin is now a pre-teen heart throb, that’s heavily publicized and manufactured. His short hair has grown into his famous shag known as “The Bieber” and is imitated by fans and non-fans alike. His face is on t-shirts, posters, and coffee mugs and he’s currently attempting to transition into movies. A rumour began about Bieber staring in a remake of Back to the Future, and while it proved to be just a rumour, it certainly is a sign of things to come.

Of course, Justin does have his haters. There are those who feel he’s just one more child, in a long line of children, whose careers are manufactured by publicists and whose fame will last about as long as it’ll take to text “I <3>

If you do happen to listen to his music, he uses the term “Shorty” at regular intervals. Confused I asked my girlfriend what “Shorty” meant and apparently it means “girlfriend” or at least a serial monogamous female partner of some sort. Just so you know!

So what does the future have in store for Justin Bieber? It’s hard to say. Though given the string of child singers we’ve seen in the past decade, it’s not looking good for Bieber. Likely he’ll end up yet another sacrificial celebrity that the world will love to watch fall (Read: Britney Spears, Lindsay Lohan, etc.). Alternatively, he could continue to make music as his fame slowly fades (Read: Lil Romeo, Lil Bow Wow) or disappears altogether (Read: Well… they’re long gone so I can’t remember their names). Or maybe, just maybe, he’ll be the next Justin Timberlake.

So, in conclusion, if you’re interested in listening to the music that your pre-teen granddaughter listens to or are just curious to find out if a 16-year-old Canadian has what it takes to be hip hop, then take a listen. And if not, be glad that I can explain!