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Justin Bieber - Source: ONE News -
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It began with a squeal, somewhere on the far side of the newsroom.
I looked up to see hand flapping. And head bobbing.
Then the shouting began...
This behaviour isn't altogether uncommon in the TVNZ newsroom. But it's usually reserved for only the biggest, breaking news stories. The death of MJ; Tiger Woods' rampant philandering, that sort of thing.
So just what had caused this mid-afternoon kerfuffle?
Two words: Justin Bieber.
Justin Bieber coming to New Zealand , to be exact.
At this point, you are probably experiencing one of two reactions.
If, like me, you have been living a blissful Bieber-free existence, this news will illicit little more than a sideways head tilt and puzzled frown.
Justin who?
But for those in the know, this is BIG news. Bigger than Miley. Bigger, dare I say it, than Lady Gaga and her entire whackadoodle wardrobe.
And unfortunately for me, being the resident entertainment expert, I have now had to drag myself into the know - and find out exactly who is this Bieber boy is.
If you haven't heard of him already - you should probably read on. Because, closer inspection has revealed, JB is taking over the world.
Hoardes of screaming fans follow him where ever he goes. Girls fling their undies at him and he recently caused a near-riot at an American shopping centre, where so many fans turned out for his appearance police had to shut it down.
They're not the only ones fighting for a piece of the Bieber. The music industry's biggest names are all scrapping over the teen sensation.
Justin Timberlake and Usher both, reportedly, tried to sign the rising talent. Usher beat Timberlake to the punch, signing him to Island Records.
So just who is this Bieber boy? Here's a quick crash course, to instantly up your street cred with the under-18s.
Who: Justin Drew Bieber (pronounced Bee-berr)
Born: March 1, 1994
From: Ontario, Canada
Road to discovery: In 2007 Bieber began posting covers of Justin Timberlake and Usher songs on YouTube - so his family could see them. A music industry rep saw the videos and set up a meeting with Usher, who immediately took Bieber under his wing.
Debut: Bieber released his debut album My World in November 2009, which sold more than 137,000 units in its first week. That made My World the highest selling debut by a new artist for the year - until Susan Boyle broke the record in late November.
Celebrity mates: In addition to Usher's involvement, Bieber's debut album features songs with Ludacris and Sean Kingston. The teenager has also performed for President Obama - tweeting that he was off to get a "pic with the first family".
Twitter followers: 1,750,580... and counting
On the charts: Bieber currently has two songs on the RIANZ charts - Baby sits at #5, while One Time is at #35. He also features on Sean Kingston's hit single Eenie Meenie, which is #13 on the New Zealand charts.
Read more of Joanna Hunkin's blogs.
