”People think that being famous is easy, but there’s so much hard work in it,” says Bieber, fidgeting in his chair. “Don’t get me wrong, I have no regrets. I’m able to do so much that a lot of people aren’t able to do. But I’m also taken away from a lot of stuff. I won’t be able to go to my prom. But you sacrifice. And I’m committed to a long career.”
The teen-idol road typically has a fork. Leif Garrett Lane (who?) or Michael Jackson Freeway (unforgettable). Anyone looking for clues to Bieber’s future would do well to parse “Never Say Never,’’ Paramount’s 3-D bio-concert pic opening Friday.
To be sure, the movie’s main job is to reinforce the hype and hagiography associated with Bieber, the planet’s first Internet-made pop superstar. (The haiku version of JB’s tale, for the two or three out of 6 billion souls who haven’t heard it: Bieber grows up singing and drumming in Stratford, Ontario. Mom videotapes, then posts to YouTube. Talent manager Scooter Braun finds him. Usher anoints him. About a year later: 20 million Facebook followers, 7 million Twitter fans and untold millions in the bank.)
But, tellingly, “Never Say Never’’ also addresses two questions that haunt every teen idol hoping to find stardom in adulthood: Is there real talent behind the dizzying packaging, and is the inner circle supportive and selfless? Bieber’s score: yes, and so far.
The first of these is addressed by a series of homemade videos that showcase a very young Bieber. We see a toddler drumming on chairs with uncanny rhythm. A grade-schooler busking, guitar in hand, on the steps of a local theater. In a foreshadowing of Beibermania, passersby predicting future stardom.
Beliebers may adore the cute face, trendy haircut and dreamy vocals, but strip that away, and the kid can still wow a crowd.
CAREER VS. CRAZINESS
The attitude of his inner circle is encapsulated by a conveniently dramatic sequence in “Never Say Never.’’ A hoarse Bieber wants the show to go on, but his vocal coach, Jan Smith — whom he calls Mama Jan — echoes the entourage’s conviction that he must cancel the tour date. Sane adults prevail; turbo-charged teen is reminded who’s boss.“I really didn’t know much about Justin, but after spending time with him, I saw a boy with an old soul and great abilities who just needs to choose whether or not to be carried away by the craziness,” says the movie’s director, Jon Chu, best known for the dance-oriented “Step Up’’ movies. “I see this movie as the first in a trilogy. Let’s see where he goes from here.”
How about, everywhere.
Bieber already is a rare ray on the typically gloomy music industry horizon, and is up for two Grammy Awards on Sunday. He also has climbed the book charts with his what-I’ve-accomplished-so-far autobiography, “First Step 2 Forever: My Story.’’
Bieber battled Ozzy Osbourne in a Best Buy ad during the Super Bowl. He’ll make another appearance on TV’s hit CSI Feb. 17, playing against type as psychopath Jason McCann. And now add wanting to film a comedy with Will Ferrell.
“We’re getting a lot of scripts, yeah, but I really want to work with Will, and I think I’m a funny guy,” says Bieber.
Bieber cracks himself up, recalling a time when he had to follow Ferrell down a red carpet: “Will went on Letterman that night and said, ‘With all the screaming, it was like Jesus was following me.’ He’s too much.”
Too much is precisely what Bieber may want to watch out for, says Peter Sealey, former marketing chief at Columbia Pictures and Coca-Cola.
“It’s hard to tell where he’ll be at 22, but typically, slow and incremental career growth is better than fast and furious,” says Sealey. “The greatest danger Bieber faces is overexposure. He’s hot, young and good-looking. The entertainment machine could easily suck him in and burn him down in a few years if he and his people aren’t careful.”
Veteran rock journalist Lisa Robinson, who wrote Vanity Fair’s current cover story on the teen sensation, says long careers are byproducts of luck, talent and timing, but Bieber’s ahead of the game, thanks to his associations with established music stars.
“Teaming up with Usher and having his songs remixed by Kanye West and Lil Wayne puts him in a different, and more legitimate, category,” she says.
'THE NEXT |MICHAEL JACKSON'?
In fact, Bieber’s own aspirations are even loftier than those well-known names, says Peter Debruge, features editor at Variety, who was in Team Bieber’s orbit while putting together an event honoring charity-minded young performers.“The way his camp sees it, he could be the next Michael Jackson,” Debruge says. “I sense they’re testing the waters everywhere with a long haul in mind. Just like Michael, Justin started young and has the goods, so that’s the target.”
JB confirms the MJ obsession — though clearly from the perspective of someone who wasn’t even alive during Jackson’s 1993 child molestation scandal.
“Michael was so amazing,” Bieber says. “He worked so hard and knew how to manage his career. He’s someone I look up to.”
But what about Jackson’s demons? “Well, I understand he was surrounded by yes men,” Bieber says softly. He thinks about this a moment, then offers an unusually lengthy response.
“For me, it’s about having people who will help shape who you are and help you grow and be a good person. Some people hit 18 and just want to grow up too quickly. I’m not worried about a Lindsay Lohan situation — you know, getting into drugs because there’s no one to guide you.
“I have good people around me who treat me not like I’m Justin Bieber, and whatever I say goes,” he says. “I have my mom.”
THE MOM FACTOR
His mother, Pattie Mallette, 34, is as important to Bieber as she is elusive to journalists. She declined to comment for this story. Albert Lee, who oversaw Us Weekly’s special Bieber book-azine, says his reporters got access to everyone but Mallette.“She could easily be a Dina Lohan and grab the spotlight, but she seems to be the opposite,” says deputy editor Lee. “Think about it. Justin’s a teenager living mostly on a tour bus with his mom. That could be a nightmare. But instead, you get the sense that he is surrounded by people who have his back.”
Bieber says his mother is “just like any other great mom, she wants to love on me and stuff. But now that this is really happening, I hope she gets to do some things of her own. I know she really cares about kids, and she’d love to start some group homes. I mean, she’s got dreams, too.”
She may well. But for right now, Mallette and company are focused on their golden child. Who, incidentally, doesn’t seem worried at all.
“I’m not concerned with my career having a time bomb,” Bieber says. “I love music and can do this for a long time. I think I’ll make a smooth transition from a teen star to an adult star. I don’t want to grow up too quickly and do anything that’s not smart.”
That means a Bieber-mandated one day a week off, no exceptions. “I’ve set the standard, and I get that day to just be me and do regular stuff like hanging out with my friends, resting, watching movies, playing basketball. Stuff to keep me sane.”