Prepare yourself to see yet more of Justin Bieber. The heartthrob teen crooner is gracing the cover of the January issue of Vanity Fair, in which he offers one of his most grown-up interviews yet. In it, the 16-year-old star gives a glimpse into his internal world: making Michael Jackson a career model,
his predominantly female fanbase, and how he's literally losing sleep over his hard-won fam
On his insomnia:
"I just turn over all night and think. My mind races. I think about all the things I didn't have time to think about during the day -- like family and God and things that should be more important but you don't have time to think about, because you just get caught up [in everything else] during the day."
On his "musician mindset":
"I'm crazy, I'm nuts. Just the way my brain works. I'm not normal. I think differently -- my mind is always racing. I'm just … nuts. But I think the best [musicians] probably are."
On making Michael Jackson his career model:
"Michael [Jackson] was able to reach audiences from young to old; he never limited himself."
On the hardships of being a teen star:
"It's hard to really balance myself. A regular kid, if he catches the flu, he just gets to go home. But I can't do that."
On the gender of his fan base:
"For younger guys, it's like [they think] they're not cool if they come to my concert. That'll [change], I think; it'll happen, maybe when I'm 18. But meanwhile, all their girlfriends are coming to watch me."
On girls' obsession with his face, as opposed to his personality:
"Not trying to be arrogant, but if I walked down the street and a girl saw me, she might take a look back because maybe I'm good‐looking, right?"
On avoiding those career-ending mistakes:
"I know I'm not going to make a life-changing bad decision, as some people have. I've seen it happen too many times. I could be my own worst enemy, but I don't want to mess this up."
On the future:
"I grew up in a really small town with not a lot of money, and I liked singing, but it was just something that was a hobby. As I get into it more, I want to grow as an artist, as an entertainer and basically perfect my craft. I want to be the best that I can be."