Justin Bieber rewarded with a spell on the pitch at Barcelona after sporting their strip in Real Madrid heartland

It was a less than subtle hint, but when Justin Bieber bravely wore a Barcelona FC kit in the heartland of Real Madrid territory, the Catalonian team took note.
The Spanish soccer giants were quick to invite the 17-year-old to train with them yesterday, fresh off the back of their UEFA victory over Shakhtar Donetsk on Wednesday night.
The win makes it all the more likely that Barcelona will face their most hated rivals Madrid in the quarter finals of the competition.

Call up: Justin Bieber trains with Barcelona yesterday after wearing their home strip in Madrid on Tuesday

But Canadian Bieber paid no heed to local rivalry when he pulled on the red and blue home kit for a kickabout ahead of his sell-out concert in Madrid on Tuesday.
Such is the grip of Bieber fever, however, that the local children seemed unperturbed by his controversial choice.
Admittedly , his bodyguards were more likely to suffer for him wearing the strip of Real's hated rivals for a kickabout on the outskirts of the city.

Skill: The pop juggernaut is all-conquering on the pitch, too...Barcelona confirmed on their website that he is surprisingly gifted with his left foot

Devoted: Bieber is such a fan of the Catalan giants that he wore their strip deep in Real Madrid territory

So they were no doubt delighted to bathe in the warm atmosphere at Barcelona, as Bieber showed off in front of his heroes, this time wearing their mint green away strip

On Wednesday after arriving in the city, fans lined the fencing of a park where Bieber was playing a match with his entourage.
And it turns out they were greeted by a display of some skill, rather than just the sight of their idol in shorts.

Renaissance man: Multi-talented Bieber held his own on the pitch amongst talent like Bojan

New career: Bojan was so impressed with Bieber he wouldn't stop shaking his hand, a career could beckon if his multi-millionaire pop adventure ends

Bieber arrived at their Ciutat Esportiva training ground to take part in a session and turned out to be so good that he even got to play a game with Thiago, Bojan and Andreu Fontas

Barcelona's official website reports, Bieber showed "surprisingly decent skills with his left foot."
The teenager was spotted taking shots at B-team goalkeeper Ruben Mino, and being enthusiastically praised by Bojan, who kept shaking the singer's hand.

Dedicated: Bieber wears Barcelona shorts for a kickabout in one of the city's park the day before his big call up

Bieber fever: Fans hear that their idol is playing football with his entourage in a local park and flock to catch a glimpse

The Catalan club is no stranger to celebrity with central defender Gerard Pique happily dating another rather less omnipresent singing sensation, Shakira.
Bieber of course, is well acquainted with rival Real Madrid's most starry former player, David Beckham.
Becks first met up with Bieber last May when he and Victoria took their three boys, who are all huge fans, to see him perform at The Grove mall in Hollywood.

Brave: Bieber trains in Madrid on Tuesday wearing the ultra recognisable classic Barcelona home kit

And in a recent interview Beckham actually name dropped Bieber, saying that his middle son Romeo asked if they could call their new sibling Justin Bieber.
Beckham, whose wife Victoria is pregnant with their fourth child, was speaking to American chat show host Jimmy Kimmel when he shared the funny story.

Smash hit: Beiber's concert in Barcelona was a sellout, his My World tour is bringing the house down across Europe

He explained that when they told Romeo that he was going to have a sister, and not another a brother, the seven-year-old then asked if they could call her Justine Bieber instead.

Celebrity: Barcelona's Gerard Pique is dating pop sensation Shakira, David Beckham says son Romeo (pictured) wants to name baby after Bieber

The pop juggernaut was taking time off from his appropriately titled European 'My World,' for the training sessions.
On Wednesday night, as his heroes thrashed their Ukranian opposition 5-1, he performed to an sellout crowd at the Palau Sant Jordi in the city.

Boy's own adventure

Justin Bieber ... the kid that learnt how to dance from YouTube. Photo: Getty Images

 
Justin Bieber: Never Say Never was a revelation, writes George Palathingal. 
 
You know his name. You know young girls love him more than life itself. You know his overproduced R&B-lite music and ridiculous haircut. And you would be within your rights to think that's all you need to know about the slightly terrifying phenomenon of ''Bieber fever''.
Yet the documentary-cum-concert movie Justin Bieber: Never Say Never gives the average sceptic some surprising insights into the 17-year-old Canadian superstar of the title, who was merely Just Another YouTube Sensation only two years ago.
Even the film's teen-friendly director, Jon M. Chu - who helmed two of the popular Step Up movies - wasn't sure what he would find when he signed on to track Bieber's every move in the weeks preceding his sold-out show at Madison Square Garden in New York last August.

 

Inside story ... director Jon M. Chu was surprised by what he discovered. Photo: Getty Images

''I also thought that maybe I would find a kid who was a puppet, who was being surrounded by people who were using him in some way,'' Chu says. ''When I saw that they were taking care of him and that they would not kowtow to him - they would actually say, 'Justin, you're being a brat right now,' or 'Justin, you can't treat people like that, you're not that special' - it really opened my eyes.''
Having been initially approached to make a straight-up concert movie, Chu was thrilled to get the opportunity to dig a little deeper into Bieber's world. The film is, of course, a glorified advert for the young star in 3D (and, handily for his Australian promoter, his coming tour) but it is also undoubtedly a fascinating - and very modern - tale.
''I don't really love concert films,'' Chu says. ''Unless you're a huge fan, that's the only people that are gonna watch it. But I do love the Justin Bieber story … that he was chosen by kids in their living rooms watching YouTube.
''Kids being empowered by technology was such an interesting thing for me. [Fans] feel like they've been along for the whole journey because he responds to them on Twitter. If he tells them to bring glow sticks that night, they all bring glow sticks; if he told them to wear purple, they would wear purple.''
As exciting as this interaction was for Bieber and his disciples, it also proved helpful to Chu.
''We did discover the story as we made it,'' he says. ''I had an idea of a structure but as it was unfolding and seeing him interact with his audience - to see him go into shows being sick, tweeting about being sick and then seeing them bring him flowers that night - was such a conversation that I was trying to figure out how do we incorporate this into the story?
''We realised because they were a part of every chapter of his life - finding him on the internet, choosing him, buying his albums… then also at these concerts - when he had never opened for anybody, never done a concert before, selling out these concerts in 48 hours… it's like they are the Greek chorus of his life and they've always been there.
''So we wanted to visually incorporate that in the movie as much as we could.''
Chu even gained Bieber's trust over a YouTube bonding session, which ties in nicely with the video-sharing website's importance to the singer's life story.
''I know. It's weird, huh?'' the director says, laughing. ''But that's the thing - he's the kid that learnt how to do Rubik's Cube from YouTube. He's the kid that learnt how to yo-yo and beatbox and learnt to dance from YouTube videos. That's of this generation to its fullest.
''So I really wanted the idea of when you come into this movie, it's gonna be like a Tuesday at four in the afternoon and you're at work and it's boring, you get this email from your friend and you click on that one video that you remember for the rest of your life.
''If we can get an audience who didn't even know who Justin Bieber was and can experience that moment - which we've all sort of experienced at one point or another - to get us into the story, then I felt like people could understand what it felt like to be a fan discovering him.''

Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez to Sing Together: Maybe!

Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez, currently one of Hollywood's hottest (and most adorable) young couples, may be sharing studio time together in the future--at least according to Gomez, who chatted with E! at the Kids' Choice Awards in Los Angeles on Saturday night.

When the Wizards of Waverly Place star (donning a cute white number for the Nickelodeon awards show) was asked about a possible duet with her main man she said, "I don't know. You know, with my friends, I always make sure that I try to keep like family and business separate because it doesn't really go well sometimes... I don't know about that. We'll see."
But, apparently, she's still relatively open to the idea of singing with Justin Bieber, as she smiled in response, "Yes!"
However, it's smart and savvy of her to be cautious about blurring the line between her professional career and her personal life. Not only could working together compromise the romantic relationship between Selena Gomez and Justin Bieber (it's tough to mix business and pleasure, especially in high stakes and high-pressure Hollywood), it could also lead to some negative feedback among fans.
Just because both stars have huge sets of fans doesn't mean those fans will appreciate a collaboration between Bieber and Gomez.
Justin Bieber's followers already have a reputation for being overly protective of their favorite young pop heartthrob, even going so far as to post vicious comments and death threats for Selena Gomez when the couple first went public with their romance.
Who knows how they might respond if the Biebs and Gomez released a single together!

Justin Bieber Tops Mentor Usher; The Karate Kid Kicks the Competition at the Kids' Choice Awards

George Pimentel/WireImage.com

It's not every day you get slimed by Johnny Depp (or that you beat out your mentor for a major award of the night).
Such was the case, however, at the 24^th Annual Kids' Choice Awards Saturday in Los Angeles, when the Alice in Wonderland star broke out a slime blaster while nabbing an orange blimp for Favorite Movie Actor (and Justin Bieber won the Favorite Male Singer award over his mentor Usher).
"You guys are the future," Depp said calmly to the crowd before he surprised them with a spray-down of the beloved green goop. "Take good care of us."
And there was much more sliming to come...
RELATED: Check out all the nominees for the Kids' Choice Awards!
Kids' Choice Awards host three-peater Jack Black kicked off the awards show by driving a monster truck over two limousines, followed by a rendition of the Black Eyed Peas "I Gotta Feeling" (the band later joined him for their 50^th awards show performance "Dirty Bit").
While that performance didn't garner any of the green stuff, Russell Brand was next in line when he handed over the Favorite Animated Movie Voice award to Eddie Murphy for Shrek Forever After.
"I'm never having children!" Brand said as the kids pelted him with slime from the audience.
Then it was Heidi Klum, who was slimed in stilettos when she presented the blimp to Selena Gomez for Favorite Movie Actress (and no, Gomez didn't thank the Biebs).
So, who were the slime escapees (an apparent honor for the KCAs)?
While Miley Cyrus and Jaden Smith took home awards for Favorite Movie Actress (Last Song) and Favorite Movie (The Karate Kid ) respectively, both dodged the proverbial green bullet, as did Jaden's sister Willow, who later hit the stage to whip some serious hair.
And while the KCA's are generally all about fun and games, Justin Timberlake brought a slightly more serious note to the evening when he accepted The Big Help Award for his work with the Shriners Hospital for Children.
"I want to dedicate this to all of you very cool, very loud kids," Timberlake said. "This is your world."
Check out the full list of winners:
MOVIES
• Favorite Movie: The Karate Kid
• Favorite Animated Movie: Despicable Me
• Favorite Voice from an Animated Movie: Eddie Murphy
• Favorite Movie Actor: Johnny Depp
• Favorite Movie Actress: Miley Cyrus
• Favorite Butt Kicker: Jackie Chan, The Karate Kid
MUSIC
• Favorite Song: "Baby," Justin Bieber
• Favorite Music Group: Black Eyed Peas
• Favorite Male Singer: Justin Bieber
• Favorite Female Singer: Katy Perry
TELEVISION
• Favorite TV Show: iCarly
• Favorite Television Actress: Selena Gomez
• Favorite Cartoon: Spongebob Squarepants
• Favorite Television Actor: Dylan Sprouse
THE BIG HELP AWARD
• Justin Timberlake
SPORTS
• Favorite Male Athlete: Shaquille O'Neal
• Favorite Female Athlete: Lindsey Vonn
OTHER CATEGORIES
• Favorite Video Game:  "Just Dance 2"
• Favorite Book: Diary of a Wimpy Kid series

Bieber fever burns in 3D

‘Never Say Never’ is more than just about the swishing hair--it’s about believing in your dream and pursuing it
JUSTIN BIEBER is the epitome of dreams made manifest through sheer perseverance and faith. This is the take-away from Bieber’s inspiring story in his movie, “Never Say Never,” the premiere of which I watched in the company of fiercely loyal Bieber fans last March 22 at SM Megamall.

Who would have known that the singing acts he had uploaded on YouTube would vault him to pop stardom? “This shows that social networking is really powerful,” says one of his concert crew members. Bieber always goes on Twitter or online to promote himself for radio guestings or mini-concerts.

In spite all his achievements, however, Bieber has held on to his values. As 15-year-old Bieber fan Michelle Abigan told me, “He doesn’t sing about money, fame, or sex just to sell, and he remains down-to-earth. He’s one of the few remaining singers with true talent and firm beliefs.”

“Justin Bieber’s music is sexy,” said another Bieber fan at the premiere. “He is very talented and gives us motivation,” gushed another. And he’s so much cuter, too, on the 3D screen. When he swished his hair (in slow-mo), everyone in the movie house screamed—because he looked so cute!

Regular boy

Justin Bieber was a regular boy who had friends, played basketball and soccer, and went to school in his hometown in Ontario, Canada.

At the start of the film, he sings “With You” with Chris Brown in a YouTube videoclip. Soon enough, the video clip got lots of hits—and Bieber became a worldwide phenomenon.

Many girls who were interviewed in the movie have become such die-hard Bieber fans that they know not only the day he was born, but the time, as well. That would be March 1, 1994 at 12:56 a.m., in case you didn’t know yet!

His baby pictures come flashing next, and they are so adorable! He plays with a small bongo drum in one of his birthdays. Did you know that he also loves playing the trumpet, keyboards, guitar and violin?

Many may not know also that he played jazz, and he wanted to become a drummer. He once put up a benefit concert to get himself a set of drums. And just as added trivia, Bieber could actually solve a Rubik’s Cube in one and a half minutes, to be exact.

While in Toronto, Canada, he joined the “Stratford Idol” singing contest. His mother Pattie Mallette said that even if he didn’t win, it would have been okay since he had no training anyway. Bieber won second place; he was just 12 then.

That was when he gave up his normal life. He performed in various schools across America. He’d get on the tour bus with his biology books and read through them while in transit from one city to the next. He still valued his studies, even as he was busy nurturing his fledgling career.

By then, he already had a musical coach, whom he fondly referred to as “Mama Jan.” During one vocal training session, he is seen in the movie singing with his microphone in the bathroom, practicing for his upcoming concert.

There’s a really touching scene in the movie where a girl plays the violin in front of Avon Theater, and Bieber goes up to her and praises her. When she asks if he is really Justin Bieber, and he says yes, the girl is flabbergasted. “Just follow your dreams, okay?” Bieber tells her.

It turns out that Avon Theater was the very same place where Bieber played the guitar when he was just 12.

Floored

His manager Scooter Braun, who discovered him on YouTube, asks him and his family to go to Atlanta. When Bieber arrives, he is totally floored to see his idol Usher at the door! Usher, at first, thinks he is Braun’s little cousin. Bieber asks if he can sing one of Usher’s songs, after which it is Usher’s turn to be floored. “Who is this kid?!” he exclaims.

His concert at Madison Square Garden was sold out. Bieber’s performance there confirmed that he had finally arrived. Still, he kept his feet on the ground. He made people happy in his hometown Ottawa by giving free tickets to those who couldn’t afford to go to his concerts.

And he continued with the “tradition” of picking out a random girl in his concert performances, and making that girl the “One Less Lonely Girl” he describes in one of his hit songs in his “My World” album. He sings her a song and gives her a bouquet of flowers.

Bieber has had his share of challenges on the way to the top. Just before his performance at Madison Square Garden, he developed not only a sore throat, but lumps in his vocal chords, and couldn’t sing.

Mama Jan advised him to postpone the show. “But I don’t want to let all the kids down,” reasons Bieber, determined to make his fans happy and give his best. He wouldn’t give up. And he pulled through just fine.

“I was just watching TV in my room, and now here I am living my dream and doing what I love,” says Bieber as scenes of his concert at Madison Square Garden flicker on the television screen.

“There’s gonna be a time in your life when people say you can’t live your dreams. Just never say never!” Beiber exclaims to his fans as he sings with all his heart and soul to them.

Bieber’s movie is all about believing in your dreams and going for them. He’s not just a singing phenomenon; he’s an enduring role model for teenagers looking for their own little place in the sun.