Justin Bieber's just following the giant-teen-idol rules
Justin Bieber makes it all look so easy, whether he's winking at screaming tweens or ralphing onstage midway through a concert.
Perhaps that's because the comely Canadian, who turned 18 in March, is standing on the shoulders of giants -- giant teen idols, anyway, who paved the way for his swift ascent to the top of the pop charts around the world.
With Bieber's current tour hitting Target Center this weekend, we figured it was time to take a look at five kid-tested, mother-approved rules he followed to get to where he is today:
1. SHOW THEM THE GOODS FIRST, WORRY ABOUT THE REST OF IT LATER
When "The Monkees" debuted on NBC in 1966, the sitcom followed a "band" assembled by a casting agent far more interested in
The Partridge Family pulled a similar trick in the '70s, and Disney perfected it over the past decade, using television to launch Miley Cyrus, the Jonas Brothers and Demi Lovato. And don't forget that early-'90s "Mickey Mouse Club" revival that introduced Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Justin Timberlake and Ryan Gosling to the world.
As for Bieber, he took a decidedly 21st-century approach and bypassed television for YouTube, where his homemade videos gave laptop- and smartphone-equipped tweens the opportunity to watch him again and again long before he had any songs on the radio, let alone the attention of anyone older than 14.
2. LET FANS INSIDE YOUR WORLD, OR AT LEAST A ! VERSION OF IT
In the olden days, budding stars used Teen Beat, 16 and Tiger Beat to reveal their innermost secrets, from their favorite pizza toppings to what traits they were looking for in a girlfriend. Bieber's mug is all over what's left of those magazines, but his secret weapon turned out to be Twitter, where he maintains constant contact with his loyal following via a steady stream of such inspirational missives as: "you are only as strong as those that support you. THANK YOU. I LOVE YOU"; "there is NOTHING we can't achieve TOGETHER"; and "THIS IS WHAT I DO IT FOR!! THE MUSIC AND THE FANS! MY BELIEBERS!!"
Indeed, Bieber pretty much owns Twitter. He is battling Lady Gaga for the highest number of followers on the site (29 million to her 30 million) and reportedly gains a new one every other second. For comparison's sake, President Barack Obama is bubbling under 21 million followers, while the Bieb boasts a count equal to Oprah Winfrey and Ellen DeGeneres combined. Even the independent Twitter account @JustinBieberFan is swiftly approaching the 1 million mark.
3. IT HELPS IF YOU
Bieber arrives at the 2012 Teen Choice Awards on July 22 in Universal City, Calif. (Jason Merritt/Getty Images)
Teen idols thrive on young female fans who are still a few years away from their own real-life romances, and many of those fans are much more comfortable crushing on performers with innocent eyes, sweet voices and not even a hint of body hair. Just look at Davy Jones, Donny Osmond, Joey McIntyre, Zac Hanson, Aaron Cart! er, Nick ! Jonas and at least half of One Direction.
Bieber's delicate features even inspired a popular blog, "Lesbians Who Look Like Justin Bieber," a site the Bieb himself has declared "funny." Last year, openly gay country crooner k.d. lang further confirmed Bieber's girlish good looks when she called him "hot as s---!"
4. AT THE SAME TIME, IT ALSO HELPS TO BE A BIT OF A BAD BOY
In teen idol terms, this essentially means sporting some complicated facial hair and garish tattoos while owning a few hip-hop albums on the side. Donnie Wahlberg mastered this pose back in New Kids on the Block, as did his crotch-grabbing brother, Mark "Marky Mark" Wahlberg, who memorably dedicated his pinup-heavy 1992 autobiography to his penis. The Backstreet Boys' A.J. McLean is another great example, although its less clear who fit that profile in 'NSYNC. Chris Kirkpatrick, maybe?
Because Bieber is a one-man show, he has figured out a way to introduce a whiff of rebellion to his shtick, mostly by calling Usher his mentor and getting folks like Ludacris, Big Sean and Nicki Minaj to rap in
Bieber performs during his "Believe" tour at LA's Staples Center Oct. 2. (Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
5. THE WHOLE 'SINGING' THING WILL TAKE CARE OF ITSELF
It's quaint to look back at the Milli Vanilli lip-sync scandal of 1990, let alone the fuss over whether the Monkees played their own instruments way back in the '6! 0s. Today! 's pop audience all but expects at least some technological wizardry involved in the vocal department. Each week, the cast members of "Glee," a show about a high-school show choir, croon songs with the telltale electronic chirp of auto tune, while it's entirely possible Britney Spears didn't sing a single live note during her last concert tour.
The vocals on Bieber's recent hit, "As Long as You Love Me," could easily be described as "robotic," even if the single's sleeve shows him posing with an acoustic guitar (cough cough). And then there's the matter of the opening night of Bieber's current tour in late September. In the middle of "Out of Town Girl," Bieber turned his back to the audience and barfed his guts out while his "voice" could still be heard singing over the loudspeakers.
A true pro at the tender age of 18, Bieber blamed it all on a pre-show meal of spaghetti and whole milk. Bless his heart.
Pop music critic Ross Raihala can be reached at 651-228-5553. Follow him at Twitter.com/RossRaihala.
IF YOU GO
Who: Justin Bieber, with "Call Me Maybe" hitmaker Carly Rae Jepsen
When: 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 20
Where: Target Center, 600 First Ave. N., Minneapolis
Tickets: $89.50-$39.50 (few tickets remain)
Call: 800-745-3000