ENTERTAINMENT NEWS
November 16, 2009
A Chat with Justin Bieber
TFK talks to the 15-year-old rising pop star
When Justin Bieber was 12, he entered a singing competition in his hometown of Stratford, Canada, and won second place. He wanted to share the news with family members, so he posted clips from the contest on YouTube. Over time, Bieber added more videos of himself singing, and his relatives weren’t the only ones to take notice. More than 55 million fans also logged on to watch Bieber perform the songs of his favorite artists, including Usher, Ne-Yo and Stevie Wonder.
 |  COURTESY JILL HORBACEWICZ Justin Bieber took time to talk with TFK Kid Reporter Sarah Horbacewicz. |
Now the 15-year-old musician has two hit singles of his own, and his new album, “One World,” comes out on Tuesday. Bieber recently talked to TFK Kid Reporter Sarah Horbacewicz about how music has changed his life.
TFK:You’re 15, and you’re about to release your first album. Can you tell me how this all happened?
JUSTIN BIEBER:It started on YouTube. I put videos up just for friends and family, and it got really big on the Internet. Scooter Braun, who is now my manager, saw the videos. He flew me down to Atlanta, where I got to meet Usher.
TFK:What type of music do you enjoy singing most? How would you describe your style of music?
JUSTIN:I would describe my style of music as R&B pop music.
TFK:Do you think your success has changed your life in any way?
JUSTIN:Yeah, I’ve gotten to travel the world, and I don’t think I would ever have been able to do that. That was a lot of fun, and so is being able to meet all these great and really nice people like you.
TFK:What do you like to do when you’re not singing or performing?
JUSTIN:When I’m not singing or performing, I like to just hang out with my friends, go golfing, go to the movies—just regular stuff.
TFK:Do you have any siblings? If so, how do they react to your success?
JUSTIN:My sister says a lot of goo-goo-gah-gah’s. She’s only a year and a half, so she kind of dances when she hears my music, but that’s about it.
TFK:How do you balance school and your music career?
JUSTIN:How do I balance it? School is always really important, more important than my music. I have a tutor, and she travels with me.
TFK:Who do you look up to?
JUSTIN:I look up to Michael Jackson as an artist. I look up to Usher. I look up to a lot of different people.
TFK:Do have any new celebrity friends, and do you still hang out with your old friends?
JUSTIN:I still hang out with my old friends, but I’m also friends with Taylor Swift.
TFK:Did music come naturally to you, or did you push yourself to become who you are today?
JUSTIN:I really didn’t try to do any of this, so I guess it came naturally.
TFK:How much do you practice?
JUSTIN:I probably should practice more, but I practice every day, pretty much.
TFK:Can you tell me about your new album?
JUSTIN:It’s called “My World,” and it’s coming out November 17th. It’s going to be a fun album, and a lot of teens will be able to relate to it.
TFK:Do you want to say anything to TIME For Kids readers?
JUSTIN:I just want to say thank you. And thank you (Sarah) for talking to me!
