That Was Then & This Is Now: Justin Bieber

From a teenage YouTube sensation to one of the biggest pop stars on the planet… Justin Bieber has come a LONG way.

Welcome back to That Was Then & This Is Now, a feature where we take one of the artists you hear all the time and put their THEN and NOW side-by-side.

For our second edition, we’re taking a trip back to the beginning of Bieber’s career—and then jumping ahead to the sound of Justin Bieber today.

THAT WAS THEN: “Baby”

In 2010, Justin Bieber was just 16 years old when “Baby” became the song that turned the young Canadian singer into a global pop phenomenon. The song, featuring Ludacris, became one of the defining hits of Bieber’s early career—and the video gave us the version of Justin that an entire generation grew up watching.

Fast-forward more than a decade, and the kid from “Baby” is very much grown up.

THIS IS NOW: “Speed Demon”

“Speed Demon” comes from Bieber’s SWAG II era and showcases a much more mature, groove-heavy side of his sound. The song also became part of Bieber’s return to the live stage, including his 2026 Coachella performances.

It’s hard to think of a better example of THEN vs. NOW.

Watch the videos and see just how much Justin Bieber has changed.