Born on March 1, 1994, in London, Ontario, Justin was interested in hockey, soccer, and chess during his childhood; he often kept his musical aspirations to himself. As he grew, Justin taught himself to play the piano, drums, guitar, and trumpet.

His career began with performances at a local talent show in Stratford, where he came in second place. In 2007, in an effort to share his victory with his family and friends, his mother Pattie Mallette began posting his performance footage on YouTube. Visitors to the site began subscribing to his videos, and he ended up with over 10 million views of his performances. Seven months later, his future manager Scooter Braun, a former marketing executive for So So Def, discovered him. Justin was flown to Atlanta to meet superstar R&B singer Usher. Justin Timberlake was also reportedly in the running to sign Bieber, but lost the bidding war to Usher. Justin and his mother then moved to Atlanta, also the home of Usher and Braun, to base his career.

In October 2008 Justin took the deal offered by Usher and signed to Island Records, and Braun became his manager. His first single, "One Time," supported by a popular video that featured an appearance by Usher, went platinum in both Canada and America in May 2009, a feat that was replicated later that year with the release of his debut album 'My World.' Three of Justin's singles, "Love Me," "Favorite Girl" and "One Less Lonely Girl," all became instant hits worldwide, and Justin became the teen heartthrob for girls across the world. He is the first artist to have seven songs from a debut album chart on the Billboard Hot 100.

Less than a year after his debut, Justin returned with the "second half" of 'My World,' a ten-song release titled 'My World 2.0.' "Baby," the lead single from the album, which features Ludacris, was released in January 2010 and became his biggest hit thus far, charting at number five in the U.S. and reaching the top ten in seven other countries. 'My World 2.0' hit stores in March 2010 and debuted at #1 on the chart. That made 16-year-old Bieber the youngest solo male to hit #1 since 13-year-old Stevie Wonder in 1963. To promote the album, Justin appeared on several live programs including The View, the 2010 Kids Choice Awards, Nightline, The Late Show with David Letterman, The Dome and 106 and Park. On April 10, 2010, he was the musical guest on Saturday Night Live.

On June 23, 2010, Justin went on his first official headlining tour, the My World Tour to promote My World and My World 2.0. In July 2010, it was reported that Bieber was the most searched for celebrity on the Internet. That same month the music video for his single "Baby" surpassed Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance" to become the most viewed, and most liked YouTube video ever.

By the end of 2010, Justin released 'My Worlds Acoustic,' a set featuring acoustic versions of nine songs off the 'My World' discs, as well as one new song. The following February, a 3-D part-biopic, part-concert film starring Bieber entitled Justin Bieber: Never Say Never, was released. Directed by Step Up 3D director Jon Chu, the the film topped the box office with an estimated grossing of $12.4 million on its opening day. The concert film is accompanied by his second remix album, 'Never Say Never – The Remixes,' released February 14, 2011. It features remixes of songs from his debut album, with guest appearances from Miley Cyrus, Chris Brown, and Kanye West, among others. Besides this, Justin also guest-starred in the crime drama series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.