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It’s also obviously intended as a rebuttal to critics who denounce Bieber as a manufactured pop star, as it emphasizes his musicianship and the hard work he’s put in to get to where he is now.

he first displayed an aptitude for drumming rather than singing. From playing jazz standards at the age of 8,

Reid recalls thinking Bieber was “the Macaulay Culkin of music”, a slight underestimation given the Beatlemania-esque frenzy that now surrounds Bieber’s every move.

Bieber’s pitch-perfect a cappella

“Meeting someone that talented is a once-in-a-lifetime chance,” Usher says. “He was cute, so I knew the girls would love him, and with that voice, it was, like, ‘Wow — if we guide, nurture and direct him right, the possibilities could be endless.’”

“We were flown to Justin’s house in Memphis,” Braun says. “He and Ken Komisar, who runs [Timberlake’s Interscope-affiliated label] Tennman Records, offered us a deal, but it wasn’t what we wanted.

That’s especially true of a label like IDJ, whose roster runs the gamut from rock (Bon Jovi, the Killers, Fall Out Boy) to pop (Bieber, Rihanna, Mariah Carey) to hip-hop (West, Ludacris, Rick Ross).

They all said the same thing: ‘He’s too young.’ ‘No one’s broken from YouTube.’ ‘Go get a TV show; you can’t compete with Disney or Nickelodeon.’ ”

Justin doesn’t do the same thing as the Jonas Brothers or Miley Cyrus; his is a mature blend of pop and R&B music. It will have a longer shelf life.” Working tirelessly for two-thirds of the year — with a mandatory two days off each week — also helps.

Bieber has achieved boy band-level sales as a solo artist, generating revenue in the hundreds of millions.

We had a seven-figure order for trading-card packs in Israel.” Not bad — Israel only has 7 million citizens.

Braun says. “I make him talk to his lawyer and business manager for at least one hour once a week,” he says. “I want him to understand everything so that he never has any fear about decisions being made for him.”

‘The guy isn’t hating me, he’s hating the concept of me.’ ”

“It takes time to be an icon,” Usher says. “That’s why I’m here — to make sure he doesn’t forget that.  But the hardest part is done: He has a majorly successful album and an incredible fan base that wants to grow with him.”

Braun insists Bieber’s best days are ahead of him. “Watch what happens when Justin’s 19,” he says. “People forget that Michael Jackson was considered done after the Jackson 5, yet he changed the world.”

Does that mean Bieber fever is about to hit its peak? To the contrary. It's more like this team is just getting started

even the most casual of teen fans and the stodgiest of parents will exit the movie theater a complete Justin Bieber convert.

The saving grace comes on "Favorite Girl," precisely because the track is a live recording from the truly acoustic portion of Bieber's concert. It's the one moment where you can hear all of the young artist's strengths falling in line-raw talent, maturing vocals and, of course, an all-too-valuable connection with his fans.

He wasn't chosen by a big corporation; he was chosen by the people, kids at home in their living room who are on the Internet all day long. And he's kept the relationship a one on one, almost sort of a texting relationship with his fans, through Twitter.

There are plenty of YouTube stars, but very few — maybe none except for Justin — who have broken through.

he understands that people want him to fail, that there are haters, and that the test is really coming next, that it hasn't happened yet.

But he has the confidence to know that he has the talent to overcome that if he wants to. He has the ability to get away from all the negativity if he wants to.

e's ver

y aware of it. He doesn't talk to a lot of people about it. He knows the deal.

He's getting dressed, and his mike's not working, he's trying to adjust it, and it's like, "You have 30 seconds," the countdown's going off, and he says we're not going on until the mike works, and then finally he gets it to work, and people are rushing out, he's walking calmly to the stage, 20,000 people going nuts, and the pyro's going off, the bass. He gives a fist bump to me, a fist bump to the guy on the stage, the floor rises, the lights go on, and screaming girls go nuts. And at that moment, I was like, Holy shit, that's the life of Justin Bieber.

his preternatural talent and charisma.