Justin Bieber's Next Album To Capture Justin Timberlake's Magic

Songwriter Sean Garrett says former 'NSYNC star's success inspires Bieber's new project and also dishes on Beyoncé's album.
By Mawuse Ziegbe

Justin Bieber
Photo: Getty Images

Justin Bieber may have declined the chance to join Justin Timberlake's label, but according to a songwriter in the know, the former 'NSYNC crooner is the inspiration for the teen sensation's upcoming album.

Songwriter Sean "The Pen "Garrett, who has been working with Bieber on the follow-up to the chart-ruling My World 2.0., spoke with Billboard about the direction for the teen superstar's forthcoming album, saying the project will feature more grown-up fare.

"What we're trying to do with Justin is to segue him into young adulthood," Garrett said of the project, which is also slated to feature production from hitmaker Christopher "Tricky" Stewart. "The one great thing about Justin Bieber is the fact that his fans are going to grow with him. So we want all the fans that started out with him to still be intrigued and excited about him, but we want to also stretch out a little bit and make the fans that are 22-23 years old love Justin as well. When Justin Timberlake went from the last album of *N Sync to his first solo album -- I want to say [we're aiming for] that level. That's the bar for the type of song, that level of 'Cry Me a River,' big records."

Garrett, who has crafted records for stars like Chris Brown and Bieber's mentor Usher, also said he's hard at work on Beyoncé's next project. However, the songwriter didn't divulge too much information, only revealing that he's "been working with her extremely hard ... she's my favorite."

While Garrett said the plan for his next outing is to angle Bieber toward a swiftly maturing audience, Bieber himself has refused to categorize his music, insisting to MTV News in December that he's just focused on creating quality records.

"Whatever comes out of my mouth is just what you guys are going to hear," Bieber explained of his hits. "I don't know, it's not a specific type of music. Whatever music I write, I wouldn't say I'm pop or R&B or country or anything: I would just say it's just good music,"

What do you think Justin Bieber's new music is going to sound like? Let us know in the comments!

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Bristol Palin: Aspiring Author

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According to the New York Times, the daughter to Sarah Palin is going to give readers ?an inside look at her life, her world and the things that matter most, including her family and the faith that keeps her centered.?

In addition, the book, which is set for a summer release, will reveal the "grueling practices and the criticisms she endured" during her stint on ?Dancing With the Stars.?

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Watch: Jimmy Kimmel Gets Lindsay Lohan To Star In His Faux Work-Out Video

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James Franco Tweeted, TwitPic'd During Oscars Hosting Gig

'127 Hours' star uploaded series of backstage videos, candid photos throughout broadcast.
By Gil Kaufman

James Franco backstage at the 2011 Oscars
Photo: James Franco

The Oscars were going for young and hip, and they definitely got it in co-hosts James Franco and Anne Hathaway. In fact, Franco dragged the often staid 83rd annual Academy Awards right up to the present by tweeting about his hosting gig during the broadcast and uploading a series of backstage videos and candid photos to his followers.

He started off his day by posting a video of himself groggily waking up before getting ready for his big gig, then posting a series of photos of the hours leading up to the show and a video preview of his social media plans. "Hey there, it's James Franco. I am talking to you from my suite pretty close to the Kodak Theatre," he said, panning across his room. "You should look out for a few tweets during the show."

As the magic hour approached, the multi-hyphenate actor/artist/Ph.D. student uploaded photos showing him escorting his grandmother into the theater, getting his makeup on, frowning in a high school senior superlative Best Smile pic to remind himself to show his pearly whites during the broadcast and encouraging fans to follow him at the hashtag #OscarsRealTime.

What followed were clips of him entering the elevator on his way up to the stage, a video of his backstage walk to the holding area and, under the heading "these were my famous last words," a clip of him saying nervously, "It might be bad," as an offscreen voice asked him for any parting words to his fans before walking out to open the show.

Franco also posted a clip of him and Hathaway laughing while watching a video together during a commercial break early in their duties, a photo of him flipping off the camera while getting his Marilyn Monroe dress and makeup applied and a video of him waiting to take the stage in drag. Other postings included a video of him interviewing the Oscars head writer backstage during the show and a photo of him and Hathaway with Oprah Winfrey.

He was seemingly as busy behind the scenes as he was in front of them, as he found time to snap photos with Billy Crystal, take a pic of himself onstage, shoot video from the wings of Randy Newman's performance and film a clip of a commercial break bit of time filler during which Hathaway joked with the audience about taping PowerBars under the nominees' seats so they could keep their energy up during the show.

Given the volume of material Franco posted, it's a wonder he could even concentrate on his hosting duties. He also gave a video glimpse of Florence Welch getting ready to perform, another of him self-deprecatingly listening to the intro to the segment on his work in "127 Hours" and a clip of him getting a late-show hand massage from Hathaway. One photo showed him having a post-Oscars celebratory drink with the words "Goodbye LA" scrawled on the pic. This was followed by a shot outside his plane window with the caption, "It was fun! Have to get back to class!"

Stick with MTV News on Oscar night and beyond for red-carpet fashion coverage, analysis of the winners, plus interviews, photos and more from your favorite Hollywood stars!

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The b-day bash had a cartoon-theme and featured moon bounces, cotton candy machines and a huge cake, along with festive cartoon character balloons that decorated the backyard.

Among the party-goers were Gwen Stefani, Gavin Rossdale and their two boys, Kingston and Zuma, as well as Leah Remini and her daughter Sofia.

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John Galliano Declares I Love Hitler in Shocking New Video

Less than a week after his arrest for making anti-Semitic remarks to a couple at a Parisian hotspot, new video has surfaced of Dior designer John Galliano hurling racially motivated insults at two other patrons at the same bar.

The controversial video, posted by the U.K.'s Sun newspaper, shows a seemingly intoxicated Galliano telling two customers at Paris bar Le Perle, "I love Hitler" after the two ask him the color of his hair.

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