How Bieber became non-stop hitmaker

Thanks to Youtube, then 12-year old Justin Bieber has become the international pop star the world has come to embrace.

After a video of a young Justin was uploaded to the popular sharing site, he was soon signed to major record labels RBMG and Island Records in 2008, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Before the world went gaga over Justin's most talked about brushed down hair, Justin was first known for his music and singing talent. His first Youtube clip's million hits alone is a mere testament of Justin's big following, even before his hair got its own popularity.

Justin's video singing Ne-yo's "So Sick" uploaded by his mother, Malette, impressed So So Def's former marketing executive Scooter Braun, that he and R&B artist and Grammy winner Usher signed him to their record labels in 2008. Justin Timberlake was also reported to vie in signing Bieber but lost in the bidding war against Usher−now, that is stellar.

Having been signed and personally mentored by Usher, a well-known composer and singer, Justin worked with premier music producers and released his debut song "One Time" while recording his debut album and reached Platinum in Canada and the US and Gold in Australia and New Zealand. And the rest is history, or shall we say, the early start of the Bieber fever. The song's moderately slow R&B tune and lyrics about a cute confession of love is a good recipe especially in winning the approval of young girls, who are into this type of music. Usher even played a cameo in "One Time''s music video, which is a good way of introducing his own protégé.

"My World"

"My World", Justin's EP which also included "One Time," went into Platinum in the US and Double Platinum in Canada and the UK after releasing his second single, "One Less Lonely Girl." A fun trivia, Justin's music made big hits that his song titles were even used as labels for nail polish Nicole by OPI under the "One Less Lonely Girl Collection." Mind painting your nails with "Baby" Blue, "OMB!" or "Prized Possession Purple?"

Justin promoted this album by performing in several popular live shows like "The Ellen DeGeneres Show," "Good Morning America," "Christmas in Washington," "The Today Show" and "MTV U's VMA 09 Tour."

"My World 2.0"

His debut album, "My World 2.0," earned Justin more immense popularity with his biggest hit by far, "Baby," which peaked in music charts in the US and other countries. This upbeat song, which featured Ludacris, is so catchy that we're all guilty having it played on our minds more than once in our life or even catch ourselves singing along the lines, "Baby, baby, baby, ooh." In the Philippines, "Baby" has peaked as number one in music TV stations for several weeks. "Baby" was written by Justin together with Christopher Stewart and Terius Nash.

In E!'s Justin Bieber special episode show, Justin got a surprise call from his manager Scooter upon learning that he is doing a collaboration with Ludacris. In an interview, Ludacris said that he had to think of his younger days to be able to relate well to the song.

Justin's promo singles, "Never Let You Go" and "U Smile" also made promising performances. "Somebody to Love," a fast-paced dance song, was also released and made successful marks on the charts. He is also the youngest solo singer to top US Billboard 200 chart since Steve Wonder made it in 1963, when his second album debuted at number one. While promoting this album, Justin is an in-demand guest among shows such as "The View," "Kids Choice Awards," "Saturday Night Live" and "The Late Show with David Letterman."

A Good Mix of Collaborations

Justin has a fair number of songs which featured artists from different genres, from hip-hop singer Ludacris to country rock band Rascal Flats. Justin collaborated with Ludacris for "Baby," whom Justin has met since he was thirteen.

Sean Kingston, popular for his songs "Beautiful Girls" and "Take You There," collaborated with Justin for "Eenie Meenie," which is included in Sean's third album and Justin's "My World 2.o" album.

"That Should Be Me," written by Justin himself together with Luke Boyd, Nasri Atweh and Adam Messinger. Justin collaborated with Rascal Flats for this song, which is included in his "Never Say Never-The Remixes" abum. This moderate tempo song talks about wanting to be taken back by his previous love. Other collaborations i are with Kanye West and Chris Brown included in the "Never Say Never-The Remizes" album.

Justin also collaborated with Will Smith's son Jaden, who was the lead star in the remake of "The Karate Kid," in "Never Say Never," where the latter sang the rap parts. Originally a song with sexual lyrics, Justin rewrote the song together with others and made it as an inspirational song fit for the movie. Its music video shows Jaden and Justin playing around, with some cuts from the film.

Documenting Justin's musical journey, a 3D documentary and part-concert film "Justin Bieber: Never Say Never" was released in February 2011. On its opening day, it grossed to an estimate of $12.4 million.

Justin's music is a good combination of his vocal talent and music composition, catchy tunes, interesting lyrics and prime music production. His music is a popular hit especially among teenagers, but at the same time approved by the parents, making him sell records like hot pancakes.