Never Say Never

Justin Bieber: Never Say Never

Quiz by Sharon Michiko Yoneda

artists:  Justin Bieber and Jaden Smith

songwriters:  Nasra Tony Atwah, Justin Bieber, Thaddis Harrell, David Adams, Omar Rambert, Jaden Smith

date released:  2011 by Justin Bieber and Jaden Smith

*Teacher's alert:  Towards the end of the song, there is a good listening challenge for comparatives and superlatives.  Check it out.  Also, there needs to be a discussion of English slang.  To "isn't" or to "ain't'; that is the question.

Justin Bieber, was born in London, Ontario, in 1994 making him just 17 years old at the time of this writing.  His mother was 18 years old when she became pregnant with Justin, and she struggled to raise him as a single mother in low-paying office jobs.  

Justin had many hobbies while he was growing up.  He liked playing hockey, soccer and chess; however, his greatest interest was music.  He taught himself to play the piano, drums, guitar and trumpet.  When he was 12, he entered a singing and performing contest which he won.  His mother posted the video of her son on YouTube. Whenever Justin made a video, his mother posted it on YouTube for her friends and family to see.

 Fortunately, an agent saw the YouTube posting  and arranged for Bieber to meet American rap star, Usher, in Atlanta, Georgia.  His career flew to the heavens from there.  Bieber recorded his first single, "One Time", and the song became successful in Canada and the U.S.  Then, he released his first album, "My World", which went platinum in 2010.  Canada's Justin Bieber became an international superstar.

 Recently, Bieber has been nominated for prestigious music awards such as the Junos, the American Music Awards and the Grammy Awards.  Currently, he is the hottest teen idol in the world.

"Never Say Never" was recorded with Jaden Smith for a semi-autobiographical movie, "Never Say Never."

Surprising to this editor, Bieber's early childhood success has endured when many early bloomers have fallen by the wayside.   Now in his late twenties coming on thirty, he continues in the music business transforming with the trends.  Surprisingly to me, I have begun to like his music with his collaborations with Drake and the infamous Billie Eilish.  Although  I risk posting this on the site (because I cannot understand the words), I like the energy that Eilish brings to the song, of course, with her major heartthrob idol, Justin Bieber.