AnoldsoulisthelastthingyouwouldexpecttofindinsideJustinBieber.Butallittakesisonelistentothe15year-oldsoul-singingphenomenontorealizethatheislightyearsaheadofhismanufacturedpoppeers.

　　AfterpostingdozensofhomemadevideosonYouTubein2007,wherethemulti-talentedBieberputhisimpeccablespinonsongsfromartistslikeUsher,Ne-YoandStevieWonder,Justinrackedupover10,000,000viewspurelyfromwordofmouth.

　　“Istartedsingingaboutthreeyearsago,”saystheCanadiannativewhogrewupanonlychildinStratford,Ontario.“IenteredalocalsingingcompetitioncalledStratfordIdol.Theotherpeopleinthecompetitionhadbeentakingsinginglessonsandhadvocalcoaches.Iwasn’ttakingittooseriouslyatthetime,Iwouldjustsingaroundthehouse.Iwasonly12andIgotsecondplace.”

　　Inanefforttosharehisvictorywithhislovedones,Justinbeganpostinghisperformancefootageonline.“IputmysingingvideosfromthecompetitiononYouTubesothatmyfriendsandfamilycouldwatchthem,”hesays.“Butitturnedoutthatotherpeoplelikedthemandtheystartedsubscribingtothem.That’showmymanagerfoundme.HesawmeonYouTubeandcontactedmyfamilyandnowI’msigned!”

　　SevenmonthsafterJustinstartedpostinghisvideosonline,formerSoSoDefmarketingexecutiveScooterBraunflewthethen13-yearoldsingertoAtlanta,GAtomeetwithhiselitecolleagues.AsifJustin’snaturalsingingtalentwasn’tenoughtoimpressScooter’sinnercircle,BraunknewBieberwasalsoaself-taughtmusicianwhoplaysthedrums,guitar,pianoandtrumpet.

　　“RightwhenweflewintoAtlanta,ScooterdroveustothestudioandUsherwasthereintheparkinglot,”remembersBieber.“ThatwasmyfirsttimeeverbeingoutofCanadasoIwentuptohimandwaslike,‘HeyUsher,Iloveyoursongs,doyouwantmetosingyouone?’Hewaslike,‘Nolittlebuddy,justcomeinside,it’scoldout.’”

　　AllittookwasashorttimeonlineforUshertorealizehewasinthecompanyofafuturesuperstar.“AweeklaterUsherflewmebacktoAtlanta,”saysBieber.“IsangforhimandhispeopleandhereallywantedtosignmethenandtherebutIstillhadameetingwithJustinTimberlakewhoalsowantedtosignme.ItturnedoutUsher’sdealwaswaybetter.HehadL.A.ReidbackinghimupandScooterhasalotofconnectionsandisreallysmart.IalwaysteaseUshernowandremindhimhehowheblewmeoffthefirsttimewemet.”

　　InOctoberof2008,JustinBieberofficiallysignedtoajointventurebetweenUsherandScooterBraun'snewlabelRBMGandIslandRecords.Hisdebutalbum,MyWorldisanintimatelookintothemindofabuddingyoungrenaissanceman.WithproductionfromstarhitmenlikeTheDreamandTrickyStewartwhoproduced“Umbrella”forRihannaandBeyonce’slatestsmash,“SingleLadies(PutARingOnIt),”Justinhaseverythingheneedstoachievepopsupremacy.

　　Hisfirstsingle,“OneTime”producedbyTricky,isaboutoneofJustin’sfavoritetopics,puppylove.UsherjoinsJustinon“FirstDance”wherethetwoshareversesonasongthatBieberdescribesas,“Aslowgroovysongthatpeoplecandanceto.”OntheMidi-Mafiaproduced“DowntoEarth”Justindigsdeeptotalkaboutgrowingup.“Bigger”findstheteenagedsingermaturingatasteadyrate,whilemotivatinghislistenerstostrivefortheirgoals.

　　“I’mlookingforwardtoinfluencingothersinapositiveway,”saysJustin.“Mymessageisyoucandoanythin