Justin Bieber

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Pop singer Justin Bieber was barely into his teens when he released his platinum-selling debut, My World, and became one of the 2009's youngest success stories. An Ontario native, Bieber had placed second in a local singing competition two years prior and began posting his performances on YouTube. The videos caught the attention of Scooter Braun, a talent agent and former So So Def marketing executive, who helped Bieber gain an impromptu audition with the R&B star Usher. Impressed by what he saw, Usher -- along with Island/Def Jam chairman L.A. Reid -- quickly signed the 15-year-old Bieber to a recording contract. Bieber released his first single, "One Time," in May 2009. Supported by a popular video that featured an appearance by Usher, "One Time" went platinum in both Canada and America, a feat that was replicated later that year with the release of My World. The disc was technically an EP featuring only seven songs, but it reached number six on the Billboard 200 album chart and sold over a million copies. Less than a year after his debut, Bieber returned with the "second half" of My World, a ten-song release titled My World 2.0. Further demonstrating his and his management's marketing power, over 8,000 fans who pre-ordered My World 2.0 had their head shots used in a photo mosaic (formed to look like a portrait of Bieber) displayed on the back side of the disc's booklet. The release topped the Billboard 200. A few weeks later, a combination of My World and My World 2.0, titled My Worlds, appeared in some territories. ~ Matt Collar & Andrew Leahey, All Music Guide