Seizing on the opportunities created by a phenomenon like Bieber is nothing new, and it’s certainly not unique to the music business. But in the case of Bieber and the search for the next teen heartthrob, the pace at which it’s happening appears as frenzied as the girls who bum-rush Bieber for autographs after shows.
Perhaps the most extreme example is the preternaturally talented Greyson Chance, who in less than one month has secured two A-list managers and motivated a major TV personality to launch a record label. On April 28, Chance posted a YouTube video of himself covering Lady Gaga’s “Paparazzi” for his sixth-grade classmates in Oklahoma. Ellen DeGeneres booked the 12-year-old — who sports a swooping, Bieber-esque haircut — for a May 13 appearance on her ABC daytime show, then brought him back May 26 to announce that she’d launched her own record label, eleveneleven, and signed Chance as her first artist.
Though Chance was rumoured to have signed with Interscope the same week of his first Ellen visit, a representative for DeGeneres says, “A partnership with a major label is still in the works.”
Chance is comanaged by Guy Oseary (Madonna) and Troy Carter (Lady Gaga). A source familiar with the deal says that no material has been recorded yet, but Chance’s team is searching for music in the vein of Coldplay’s “Viva la Vida.”
Comparisons between Bieber and Chance are inevitable, given their age and online origin. But a more fitting comparison can be made with Cody Simpson, a 13-year-old from Australia signed to Atlantic. Simpson also started playing guitar and singing at a young age and was discovered last summer by an enterprising YouTube viewer: producer Shawn Campbell (Missy Elliott, Ciara).
“My parents thought it was some weirdo trying to get to me,” Simpson says, “but he seemed legit and I’ve been wanting to make music since I was 7, so I told my parents to let me try this.”
“I’ve never worked with anyone this young before, but Cody is so focused,” says Campbell, who helped Simpson get signed to Atlantic through executive VP of A&R Mike Caren.
Caren says that there’s room for more than one teen male artist in the marketplace. “Justin Bieber opened the door for teen music on rhythm and pop radio,” he says. “The really talented ones can break through.”
Simpson’s debut single, “iYiYi,” featuring labelmate Flo Rida, will be released June 1, and a full album is in progress. Caren says that it will be “more uptempo, energetic pop” than Bieber’s R&B-driven material. “It’s reminiscent of the Backstreet Boys and ‘N Sync sound.”
Simpson is managed by Blue Williams, who also manages 15-year-old Khalil, signed to Island Def Jam Music Group’s Teen Island label. The label was first created for Bieber, says Kawan “KP” Prather, senior VP of A&R at Def Jam, adding that due to Bieber’s success, “people are less scared” to sign teen artists outside of the Disney/Nickelodeon formula.
Khalil’s debut single, “Girlfriend,” was written by Sean Garrett and sent to urban and rhythm radio formats May 24, and Williams says the focus is on developing him into a long-term artist. “Justin Bieber tapped into something that we had gotten away from as an industry,” he says. “Little girls like to have artists that make them scream, whose posters they can put up on their walls. We’ve been so busy chasing a hit single or a hot record, we stopped making stars.”
Also on Teen Island is Aaron Fresh, a 17-year-old native of Trinidad and Tobago signed to a joint venture through Nick Cannon’s Ncredible Entertainment. Fresh’s debut single, the reggae-tinged “Spending All My Time,” is bubbling under the Mainstream Top 40 chart, with airplay detected at 64 stations, according to Nielsen BDS.
“The youth movement is definitely in effect right now,” says Cannon, who was introduced to Fresh through a producer. “It comes around about every 10 years, and last time it was Usher, Justin Timberlake and Beyoncé. I see Aaron as a future superstar right up there with them.”
Meanwhile, even Simon Cowell appears to be on the hunt for the next Bieber. During an interview on The Oprah Winfrey Show before his departure from American Idol, the music/TV mogul revealed that The X Factor will come to the United States next fall with a lower age limit: 14.
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cody and justin is still the best ever..greyson sucks he cant even sing at all he just can play the piano
F*** off Greyson Chance rocks!
YEAH !! GREYSON CHANCE’S THE BEST <3 YA !!
GREYSON CHANCE’S THE BEST !! I AM THE FAN OF GREYSON TIL’ THE WORLD ENDS !! GREYSON ROCKS !! <3 YA ! 🙂 . FUCK OFF JUSTIN !!
You don’t have to insult a singer you don’t like…eventhough I like JB alot…
Greyson does NOT suck ^^^ 😛
Ehhhh Greyson DOES suck. He sounds like a dying cow :/ but he is a beast at the piano, I'll give him props for that!!!!!
he can be justin and cody pianist haha what a looser
The difference between Bieber and these other kids is that Bieber hadn't had his voice break at 15 and 16, these kids are 12 and will have their voice breaks really soon and destroy their entire career before it even starts.
Besides that, Bieber has the sex factor while Greyson and Simpson don't.
LOL. What do you mean sex factor???…but even if JB’s voice broke…He still sings SOOO DAMN GOOD!!!!…I <3 him…
and i dont think the other is gonna be as popular with the girls as justin. they are not that good looking, and doesnt have swag like justin 😉
they can never steal justins "thunder". justin is too good for them.
and what du u mean with bieber has the sex factor? lol
i dont care about other justin-alike..he is my one n only ONE..
His lyrics
http://www.greysonchancelyrics.net/
I think they all are wicked good, why do you think they even got discovered? I just think that Justin Bieber and Cody Simpson have a better chance of making it big time. Greyson Chance is really good too, but I think Justin and Cody have more potential.
Justin bieber is Old! and him and cody have something in common weird haircuts and the same type of music which tbh is gettin old and annoying but greyson chance is different and unique he might not be that good looking but he has an amazing voice with an great song for his first single so back off!! jb is trying to hard to get in with the older crowed he needs to act his age and greyson is only 14 and his voice sounds like its already broke
I think they all are wicked good, why do you think they even got discovered? I just think that Justin Bieber and Cody Simpson have a better chance of making it big time. Greyson Chance is really good too, but I think Justin and Cody have more potential.
HA!! You changed ur mind!!
Justin Bieber and Cody Simpson are way hotter than Greyson Chance…
Justin Bieber and Cody Simpson are way hotter than Greyson Chance…
Yeah!! We get it!! and BTW GREYSON IS EXTREMLY SEXY!!!!!
Justin still the best!
I'm supporting Greyson 2 ! coz he have a talent for it..
but i think greyson will has his own style not to copy justin style!
Justin still the best!
I'm supporting Greyson 2 ! coz he have a talent for it..
but i think greyson will has his own style not to copy justin style!
I LOVE JUSTIN BUT I HATE BOTH CODY AND GREYSON! I don't think they will get that big of a star! they aren't that good or outstanding! 🙂
I LOVE JUSTIN BUT I HATE BOTH CODY AND GREYSON! I don't think they will get that big of a star! they aren't that good or outstanding! 🙂
bitch shut up to hypin about someone who dont know u exist
i dont like greyson or cody…. i like justin bieber thats it 🙂 🙂
i dont like greyson or cody…. i like justin bieber thats it 🙂 🙂
i love Cody Simpson and Justin bieber both the same i think their both really hot and i have posters all over my room of Justin bieber and im getting a whole heap of Cody Simpson and im going to stick them up in my room as well
Greyson is really cute. I would suck and fuck Greyson and Justin!
SHUT UP!!!!!! stupid cody simpson will not steal justin bieber thunder what ever it is but CODY OR GREYSON WILL NOT STEAL JUSTIN THUNDER!.
cody simpon is go out with me andrea hahaha
Justin bieber is Old! and him and cody have something in common weird haircuts and the same type of music which tbh is gettin old and annoying but greyson chance is different and unique he might not be that good looking but he has an amazing voice with an great song for his first single so back off!! jb is trying to hard to get in with the older crowed he needs to act his age and greyson is only 14 and his voice sounds like its already broke
justin bieber nvr had a thunder to start with
Bithch Please! Why don’t you find a Greyson Chance website so that you can get the hekers off this one! Don’t like him, dont look! Simple as that.
Listen, all three singers have an outrageous amount of tallent! But no offence to Cody, he isn’t AS good as Greyson or Justin. Greyson is a freak! (in a good way) He has a voice from Heaven! I could listen to him for as long as I can. Then we have Justin. He has the looks, the voice, and the right people to help him. They are all having great sucess in their careers so that’s good for them.
ur right dude!
i totaly agree wit u . they are jus doing what they do best … 🙂
i love your songs
They’re all cool evethough I <3 Justin Bieber the most…
nopeeeeeeeeeee no one can becum jb .jb is the best.but greyson is also goooooood.