Justin Bieber wants Canada to know something.
"I am always asked why I am so perfect. I'm not perfect. I'm a regular teenage boy."
That regular, 16-year-old boy from Stratford, Ontario was unmistakable at Bieber's press conference today at Toronto's Fairmont Royal York Hotel.
More than 50 reporters waited over an hour for the teen phenom to discuss his new 3D documentary, "Justin Bieber: Never Say Never."
When the main attraction finally arrived, Bieber and his signature hoodie and windswept hair (styled, reportedly, for US$750 a cut) seemed so out of synch with the Sistine Chapel-like décor of this grand ballroom.
Bieber, indeed, is a star of another era -- the social networking, era, to be precise.
Bieber's film, which hits theatres on February 4, makes that difference all too clear.
Directed by "Step Up 3D's" Jon Chu, this splashy song-and-dance pic follows Bieber's rise to his first concert date at New York's Madison Square Garden.
As Chu puts it, "This movie couldn't have been told at any other time. It's about the power of this generation."
"The Bieb" is back
"What's up everybody?" Bieber asks reporters as he takes his seat accompanied by his posse of handlers.
Before a single question is fired his way, Bieber notes a glaring omission in the room.
"Where's my fans? What's the point if my fans aren't here?"
The doors swing open. Suddenly 50 adoring girls are escorted into the room at Bieber's request.
The charmer smiles at everyone, telling them to "behave."
"I'm not really good at press conferences," Bieber tells the crowd. "You'll have to inform me on how this works."
Yet Bieber is surprisingly comfortable at expressing his opinions, especially for one so young.
There are no diva rants. No demands. No dodges. Bieber answers every question with a smile on his face and leaves the adults in the room thinking, "This kid is good."
"I still don't really notice all the fame," says Bieber.
That said, Bieber has learned a thing or two about the realities of celebrity in his short career.
"People want to see you succeed and once you do they want to bring you down. That's just the world," says Bieber.
"Lots of people think I'm made by some factory machine. But I worked hard to get here."
Bieber makes no apologies for his success. He also lets the room know that he's got a plan to make his career in the music biz a lasting one.
"I do think about what's ahead," Bieber tells CTV.ca.
"I'm growing up as a person and as an artist, and I think my fans are growing with me. I'm going through different struggles and different things in my life. But it's not just me that's doing this. It's all my fans," he says.
"But it's the way I handle myself," Bieber stops.
"I stay humble. I make sure to keep grounded and keep good people around me. That, you can build on."
Canada still home to Bieber
Bieber does lament some things that he has had to leave behind on his quest for fame.
"I miss Tim Hortons. I miss my friends and my family and my dog Sam," he says.
The singer also admits to keeping boundaries around his personal life.
"I'm always Tweeting, all day, every day. But I don't Tweet too much personal stuff. I need some personal life," he says.
"I bet some of you were surprised by my movie," he asks reporters. "Come on be honest," he laughs.
"The movie is a good movie, whether you like me or hate me."
In this room, however, hate is hardly on the minds of his adoring teen fans.
"Justin will you marry me?" one girl asks.
"That is the one question that I get asked almost every day," Bieber says, with a grin.
"The answer I tell them is always the same. Never say never."
