Justin Bieber on ‘Believe Acoustic’ and getting ‘a lot of marriage proposals’

Enter Metro’s contest for a chance to meet Justin!
Credit: Universal Music

Enter Metro’s Justin Bieber contest, and you’ll have a chance to meet him backstage at a future show!

Alas, we weren’t so lucky. But the superstar did answer some questions about his new album, “Believe Acoustic,” via e-mail, shortly before heading out on his European tour.

Metro: On “Believe Acoustic,” you sound rawer and more available than on previous big production tracks. How do you make that intimacy sound authentic, even though you’re…Justin Bieber?

Bieber: It sounds authentic because it is. Acoustic performances, whether busking in my hometown or on YouTube, are how I got started. Songs and performances like that really give me the chance to connect with my fans. That connection is why I perform an acoustic set as part of my Believe Tour every night.

Does this bring us closer to the “real” Justin?

I think everything I put out is a representation of the real me. But this album (Believe Acoustic) definitely allows the public to see a different side of me than “Believe.” The sound of this album is a lot rawer and more exposed.

I ask because previous stars your age—Timberlake, Britney—usually start to define their sound for an older audience around this time. Where are you going?

I’m just growing up and my sound is maturing with me. I don’t spend a lot of time planning where my music will go next. I just write about what is going on in my life and how I am feeling and it’s causing the music to grow with me in a very organic way.

Lots of guys in dorm rooms everywhere play acoustic guitars to pick up girls…and fail, because they look cheesy. What tips do you have for them?

Be confident.

What are you doing this Valentine’s Day?

I’ve got a small break before my UK tour dates start so I’m still figuring it out.

What’s the wildest offer that you’ve had from a female fan?

I get a lot of marriage proposals.

We have to ask about “Nothing Like Us,” a song about your break –up with Selena Gomez—you told Billboard you’re not in the happiest place and have friends to get you through. What have you learned about relationships?

I have learned a lot about who I am and who I want to be.

And?

I’ve also learned how to be there for someone else.