My World is the debut extended play (EP) by Canadian singer Justin Bieber. It was released on November 17, 2009, by Island, RBMG and Schoolboy Records. The EP is considered the first half of a two-piece project, later being supplemented by Bieber's debut studio albumMy World 2.0 (2010). After signing a recording contract in light of his growing popularity on YouTube, Bieber worked with various collaborators, including his mentor Usher and producers Tricky Stewart, D'Mile, and MIDI Mafia. The EP's music incorporates pop and dance-pop styles with R&B influences,[1][2] and lyrically discusses teen romance and coming of age situations.
Upon its release, My World received generally favorable reviews from music critics, who complimented its production. It debuted at number six on the US Billboard 200 albums chart with first-week sales of 137,000 copies. In doing so, it became the strongest-debuting release for a new artist in the United States in 2009, though it was topped the following week by I Dreamed a Dream by Susan Boyle, which moved 701,000 units in its debut week. Upon the release of My World 2.0 in March 2010, My World reached a new peak of number five on the Billboard 200. The extended play attained international success. It debuted atop the Canadian Albums Chart, where it was later certified double Platinum. It additionally attained double Platinum recognition in the United Kingdom.
Two singles were released from My World, both of which became international successes. The lead single, "One Time", reached the top twenty in five countries' singles charts, while its follow-up, "One Less Lonely Girl", peaked within the top ten in Canada and top twenty in the United States. The promotional singles "Love Me" and "Favorite Girl" also peaked in the top forty of the US Billboard Hot 100 songs chart in 2009. The project was additionally promoted through television appearances and the My World Tour in 2010. The remix albumMy Worlds Acoustic and compilation albumMy Worlds: The Collection were released later in November 2010; the latter packaged My World, My World 2.0, and My Worlds Acoustic into a two-disc set.
On February 12, 2016, My World was released on vinyl for the first time.[3]
Background and composition
Bieber first began his career through YouTube, posting videos of his performances in singing competitions for family members who could not attend. As his popularity on the website grew, he was discovered by his eventual manager Scooter Braun, who flew Bieber to Atlanta, Georgia to consult with recording artist Usher. He provided him with an audition for L.A. Reid of Island Records, and signed a recording contract in October 2008. In April 2009, after recording his debut single "One Time", Usher described Bieber as a "young phenomenon" and "definitely a priority for me and Island Def Jam."[4] Bieber later described the record's title as "the only way [he] could really describe it", adding that it represented "so many elements of [his] world".[5]
When recording My World, Bieber expressed a desire to "grow as an artist" and have "[his] fans grow with [him]".[8] Musically, the project is similar to the catalogs of Chris Brown and Usher.[9]Entertainment Weekly described the record as featuring "sugary puppy-love ballads and dinky dance-pop confections".[2] Bieber looked to address a variety of lyrical themes, which he described as "songs that teens can relate to" and "just stuff that happens in everyday life".[10]
The introductory track "One Time" discusses an admiration of a female and a desire to become her significant other.[citation needed] "Favorite Girl" shares a similar sentiment, describing the object of his affection as his "prized possession".[citation needed] The ballad "Down to Earth" was inspired by the separation of Bieber's parents, and was written to reassure fans in a similar situation "that it wasn't because of something they did".[11] "Bigger" details an aspiration to work past the difficulties a relationship experiences.[citation needed] It was noted for experimenting with New jack swing elements that were prominent in Michael Jackson's eighth studio album Dangerous,[7] and was also described as a "P.Y.T. rip".[12] Bieber felt that "One Less Lonely Girl" was "really important [that] these girls have something so they can be one less lonely girl".[13] The track was compared to Chris Brown's "With You" and Beyoncé's "Irreplaceable".[14] "First Dance" features vocals from Usher, and garnered comparisons to Jackson's "You Are Not Alone".[7]My World closes with "Love Me", which samples The Cardigans' "Lovefool" and was described by MTV News as a "widescreen club track that is full of bubbly synths and Bieber's now-signature croon".[15]
Singles
"One Time" was released on 18 May 2009, as the lead single from My World.[16] It received generally favorable reviews from music critics, who complimented Bieber's vocals, but noted a lack of originality.[17][18] The track peaked at number seventeen on the US Billboard Hot 100,[19] and was later certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for sales exceeding one million copies.[20] Internationally, it peaked at number twelve of the Canadian Hot 100,[19] where it was later certified platinum for sales over 10,000 units.[21] The song also reached number eleven on the UK Singles Chart.[22] It attained moderate success in other European territories, peaking within the top thirty in singles charts in Austria, Belgium, and Germany.[23] An accompanying music video was released on 24 November 2009, and depicted Bieber throwing a party in Usher's house in his absence.[24]
"One Less Lonely Girl" was released on 30 November 2009, as the second single from My World.[25] It was met with a generally positive response, where Bieber's vocals were deemed strong enough to overshadow generic lyrical content.[14] The track peaked at numbers ten and fifteen in the United States and Canada, respectively,[19] and was certified platinum in the former country.[26] Internationally, the song charted in the top thirty in Belgium and Germany.[27] Its accompanying music video was released on 30 November 2009, and depicts Bieber searching for his crush, who had left her scarf at the local laundromat.[28] "Love Me" and "Favorite Girl" were released as promotional singles to the iTunes Store prior to the release of My World. They peaked at numbers thirty-seven and twenty-six on the Billboard Hot 100, respectively.[19]
At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, My World received an average score of 65, based on six reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[48] Andy Kellman from Allmusic complimented the material as being "the kind of age-appropriate content that would fill out a release from a younger Chris Brown or a junior version of Ne-Yo", adding that his charisma made up for lacking lyrical depth.[49] Writing for Billboard, a reviewer opined that the strength of the material opened the possibility of Bieber "racking up more hits in the next decade to come".[50] Mikael Wood of Entertainment Weekly commended "Love Me" as a "killer electro-glam groove" and expressed a desire to see Bieber's "swagger" advance with age.[2]The New York Times's Jon Caramanica provided a favorable review, describing "One Less Lonely Girl" as an "uncomplicatedly beautiful and earnest" track.[7]
Rob Sheffield of Rolling Stone selected "First Dance", "Bigger", and "Love Me" as his personal stand-out tracks from the project.[12]Toronto Star's Ashante Infantry described Bieber's vocals as those of a "young Chris Brown with overdubbed New Edition-style harmonies", adding that the production and songwriting worked well with his "earnest pubescent vocals".[9] Writing for The Boston Globe, Marc Hirsch provided a mixed review, commenting that Bieber was "indistinguishable" from the popular mainstream artists, but noted "Down to Earth" as an "essential" track from the record.[6] Alison Stewart from The Washington Post was pleased that Bieber co-wrote several of the tracks, but was less optimistic of the prominent use of Auto-Tune.[51] At the Juno Awards of 2010, My World was nominated for the Album of the Year and the Pop Album of the Year,[52] but lost to Crazy Love by Michael Bublé in both categories.[53]
Commercial performance
In the United States, My World debuted at number six on the Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 137,000 copies. In doing so, it became the strongest-debuting release for a new artist in 2009.[54] However, it was topped the following week by I Dreamed a Dream by Susan Boyle, which moved 701,000 units.[55] In its sixth week of availability, the record moved 157,000 copies, displaying stronger sales than its debut week.[56] It was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on 14 December 2009, for sales exceeding 500,000 copies. It attained platinum recognition on 8 January 2010, after moving over one million units.[57] After his debut studio albumMy World 2.0 debuted at number one in March 2010, its predecessor reached a new peak at number five, making Bieber the first artist since Nelly in 2004 to have two titles in the top five of the Billboard 200.[58]
Internationally, My World enjoyed similar success. The extended play debuted at number one on the Canadian Albums Chart,[59] where it was later certified double-platinum for sales of 160,000 copies.[60] In Austria, the record peaked at number two,[61] and eventually earned a platinum certification for sales of 6,000 copies.[62] The project reached number seven in Germany,[61] and was later recognized as a platinum-selling release after moving 200,000 units.[63] In the United Kingdom, it peaked at number three,[22] and attained double-platinum recognition for sales of 600,000 copies.[64] In Japan, My World was certified gold after selling 100,000 units.[65]
The remix albumMy Worlds Acoustic was released on 22 November 2010.[66] It was originally distributed as a Walmart-exclusive release, but was made available through the iTunes Store on 8 February 2011. The track list consisted of four re-recorded tracks each from My World and My World 2.0, in addition to the then-recently recorded songs "Pray" and "Never Say Never".[67] Music critics appreciated Bieber's increasingly maturing vocals,[68] but felt that the set lacked fully acoustic material, making its title misleading.[69] Having only been released in North America, the record debuted at numbers four and seven in Canada and the United States, respectively.[19]
International territories were provided with the compilation albumMy Worlds: The Collection on 19 November 2010. The first disc featured an expanded version of My World Acoustic, while the second disc consolidated My World and My World 2.0 into one track listing.[70] Music critics reinforced previous compliments of the individual albums,[71] but questioned if his modestly sized catalog warranted the need for a reissue.[72] The compilation charted modestly in Europe, peaking in the lower positions of album charts in Finland, Greece, and Sweden and in the top twenty in Denmark and the Netherlands.[73]
* Sales figures based on certification alone. ^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. ‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.
^ abAndy Kellman. "Justin Bieber - My World 2.0". AllMusic. Retrieved March 14, 2020. My World went platinum and two of its singles hit the Top 20, making Justin Bieber an almost inescapable teen pop phenomenon
