# My World 2.0
**My World 2.0** is the debut studio album by the Canadian singer [Justin Bieber](https://www.edgepedia.org/justin-bieber), released in March 2010 by [Island Records](https://www.edgepedia.org/island-records) as the second half of a two-part debut project. Its first half, the EP *My World*, had been released on November 17, 2009; *My World 2.0* added ten new songs, opening with "Baby" featuring Ludacris, and debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 283,000 copies.[1](https://www.forbes.com/sites/hughmcintyre/2025/04/10/justin-bieber-hit-no-1-for-the-first-time-15-years-ago-today/) • [2](https://justinbieber.fandom.com/wiki/My_World_2.0)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Artist | Justin Bieber, then 16 years old[3](https://music.apple.com/us/album/my-world-2-0/1472491692) |
| Format | Ten tracks, about 34 minutes, described as the second half of a two-part debut alongside the EP *My World* (2009)[3](https://music.apple.com/us/album/my-world-2-0/1472491692) • [2](https://justinbieber.fandom.com/wiki/My_World_2.0) |
| Chart peak | No. 1 on the Billboard 200, first week sales of 283,000 copies; *My World* simultaneously rebounded to No. 5[1](https://www.forbes.com/sites/hughmcintyre/2025/04/10/justin-bieber-hit-no-1-for-the-first-time-15-years-ago-today/) |
| Record set | Made Bieber the youngest male solo artist to top the Billboard 200, the youngest since Stevie Wonder in 1963[4](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/platinum-selling-pop-sensation-justin-bieber-scores-1-album-in-the-nation-with-my-world-20-89604387.html) • [5](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2010/apr/04/justin-bieber-teen-pop-interview) |
| Lead single | "Baby" featuring Ludacris, later reported to have sold 12 million copies and to have been YouTube's most-viewed video for over two years[6](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/justin-bieber-my-world-album-b2722559.html) |
| Certification | 2x Platinum in the United States (RIAA, September 2010)[7](https://pop.news.chart2000.com/music/nbtunm.htm) |
| Critical score | Metascore of 68 from 8 critic reviews on Metacritic[8](https://www.metacritic.com/music/my-world-20/justin-bieber/critic-reviews?dist=neutral) |
## Background and recording
Bieber was discovered on YouTube by the manager [Scooter Braun](https://www.edgepedia.org/scooter-braun), who moved Bieber and his mother to Atlanta and arranged studio time with R&B and pop producers and songwriters including [The-Dream](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-dream) (Terius Nash), Tricky Stewart (Christopher Stewart), Bryan-Michael Cox, Johntá Austin, and Kuk Harrell.[9](https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/00s/2010/BB-2010-03-27.pdf) Braun cut eight songs before playing them for [L.A. Reid](https://www.edgepedia.org/l-a-reid) at his Grammy bungalow in February 2009, and Reid signed off on the material.[9](https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/00s/2010/BB-2010-03-27.pdf) Usher and L.A. Reid served as executive producers on the finished album.[10](https://www.amoeba.com/my-world-2-0-cd-justin-bieber/albums/831540/)
Recording took place across a long list of studios in Los Angeles, Atlanta, New York, Burbank, North Hollywood, and Miami, including Casa Mafia, Germano Studios, Doppler Studios, and Triangle Sound Studios.[11](https://www.allmusic.com/album/my-world-20-mw0001964538) Bieber, who had been performing covers online, described the sessions as his first studio experience: "I think my emotion has always been there, but I know what to do better now, and my voice has developed."[9](https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/00s/2010/BB-2010-03-27.pdf)
The album was recorded while Bieber's voice was beginning to change. Billboard ran a sidebar titled "When It's Time to Change . . ." on how his voice was adjusting to puberty, with commentary from Harrell on his vocal range during the *My World 2.0* sessions.[9](https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/00s/2010/BB-2010-03-27.pdf) A retrospective feature in *The Independent* argued that this audible transition from his youthful soprano made the record more relatable to his fans, a singer growing up across the course of the album.[6](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/justin-bieber-my-world-album-b2722559.html)
## Songs
The album opens with "Baby," an R&B-tinged appeal for reconciliation co-produced by Stewart and Nash, with the Atlanta rapper Ludacris contributing a verse about his own teenage love life.[3](https://music.apple.com/us/album/my-world-2-0/1472491692) • [6](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/justin-bieber-my-world-album-b2722559.html) The standard edition runs ten tracks in about 34 minutes; a bonus track version adds "Kiss and Tell" and a second version of "Baby."[3](https://music.apple.com/us/album/my-world-2-0/1472491692)
The remaining songs place Bieber's voice in several settings: the pulsing electro-pop of "Somebody to Love," the midtempo duet "Overboard" with the teen-pop singer Jessica Jarrell, the ballad "U Smile," and the closing tearjerker "That Should Be Me," which was later reworked as a duet between Bieber and the country-pop duo [Rascal Flatts](https://www.edgepedia.org/rascal-flatts).[3](https://music.apple.com/us/album/my-world-2-0/1472491692) The reggae singer [Sean Kingston](https://www.edgepedia.org/sean-kingston), then in his early twenties, shares "Eenie Meenie," a collaboration that reached the upper reaches of international charts, including a Top 10 placing in the UK.[3](https://music.apple.com/us/album/my-world-2-0/1472491692) • [12](https://www.udiscovermusic.com/stories/justin-bieber-my-world-2-0-debut-album/)
## Commercial performance
One week after release, *My World 2.0* reached number one on the Billboard 200, dated April 10, 2010.[1](https://www.forbes.com/sites/hughmcintyre/2025/04/10/justin-bieber-hit-no-1-for-the-first-time-15-years-ago-today/) In the same week, *My World* rebounded from number 10 to number 5, giving the 16-year-old two of the five highest-ranking albums in the United States.[1](https://www.forbes.com/sites/hughmcintyre/2025/04/10/justin-bieber-hit-no-1-for-the-first-time-15-years-ago-today/) The double-album package *My Worlds*, combining both releases, reached number 7 on the German Media Control Charts, and the album received gold status in Germany for 100,000 units sold.[13](https://finanzen.presseportal.de/pm/58621/1588687)
"Baby" became the album's defining hit. *The Independent* reports it sold 12 million copies and held the title of YouTube's most-viewed video for over two years after release; by 2023 the video had been streamed more than 2.9 billion times.[6](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/justin-bieber-my-world-album-b2722559.html) • [14](https://apnews.com/article/a3e0b4a37feadf2ee0f808bde94c2c10) The album was certified 2x Platinum by the RIAA in September 2010 and placed among the top US albums of 2010.[7](https://pop.news.chart2000.com/music/nbtunm.htm)
## Critical reception
Professional reviews were generally favorable. Metacritic assigned a Metascore of 68, based on 8 critic reviews, with 4 positive and 4 mixed and none negative.[8](https://www.metacritic.com/music/my-world-20/justin-bieber/critic-reviews?dist=neutral) Rolling Stone's review called it "a seriously good pop record, one that mines vintage teen-pop themes but plays like a primer on 2010-model bubblegum."[8](https://www.metacritic.com/music/my-world-20/justin-bieber/critic-reviews?dist=neutral) The New York Times described the debut full-length as "far sharper than it needs to be, an amiable collection of age-appropriate panting with intermittent bursts of misplaced precociousness."[8](https://www.metacritic.com/music/my-world-20/justin-bieber/critic-reviews?dist=neutral) AllMusic's Andy Kellman wrote that Bieber "makes all the right, charming moves for a teen, and he covers all the bases," with dance-pop songs that are "light on the ears yet memorable."[15](https://www.metacritic.com/music/my-world-20/justin-bieber/user-reviews?dist=positive)
The user score on Metacritic told a different story: 3.4 out of 10 from 579 ratings, with 375 negative, reflecting the backlash the album attracted outside its target audience.[8](https://www.metacritic.com/music/my-world-20/justin-bieber/critic-reviews?dist=neutral) A contemporary review carried by Sputnikmusic judged it "effective and innocent Top 40 material, if not terribly inventive."[8](https://www.metacritic.com/music/my-world-20/justin-bieber/critic-reviews?dist=neutral)
## Legacy
*My World 2.0* was the first of Bieber's eight number-one albums on the Billboard 200 as of 2025, and it launched a career in which ten of his projects reached the top 10.[1](https://www.forbes.com/sites/hughmcintyre/2025/04/10/justin-bieber-hit-no-1-for-the-first-time-15-years-ago-today/) In early 2023 Bieber sold his catalog, including the recordings from this period, to the music investment company [Hipgnosis](https://www.edgepedia.org/hipgnosis) in a deal Billboard reported at an estimated $200 million.[14](https://apnews.com/article/a3e0b4a37feadf2ee0f808bde94c2c10) Retrospective coverage has treated the album as a marker of the YouTube-era teen idol: *The Independent* grouped its blend of synthpop, dancehall, Motown swing, and Eurodisco electronics with early records by [The Jackson 5](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-jackson-5) and [Britney Spears](https://www.edgepedia.org/britney-spears) as teen pop that made its audience feel part of a cultural shift.[6](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/justin-bieber-my-world-album-b2722559.html) Spanish-language coverage marking the album's fifteenth anniversary in 2025 described it as the record that definitively catapulted Bieber to global fame.[16](https://elpais.com/cultura/2025-07-10/justin-bieber-lanza-nuevo-disco-por-sorpresa-el-primero-en-cuatro-anos-con-20-canciones.html)
## References
1. [Justin Bieber Hit No. 1 For The First Time 15 Years Ago Today, Forbes (Hugh McIntyre)](https://www.forbes.com/sites/hughmcintyre/2025/04/10/justin-bieber-hit-no-1-for-the-first-time-15-years-ago-today/)
2. [My World 2.0, Justin Bieber Wiki (Fandom)](https://justinbieber.fandom.com/wiki/My_World_2.0)
3. [My World 2.0, Apple Music album page](https://music.apple.com/us/album/my-world-2-0/1472491692)
4. [Platinum-Selling Pop Sensation Justin Bieber Scores #1 Album in the Nation With MY WORLD 2.0, PR Newswire (Island Def Jam)](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/platinum-selling-pop-sensation-justin-bieber-scores-1-album-in-the-nation-with-my-world-20-89604387.html)
5. ['Bieber fever': the 12-year-old who conquered America, The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2010/apr/04/justin-bieber-teen-pop-interview)
6. [There's a simple reason we owe Justin Bieber more respect, The Independent](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/justin-bieber-my-world-album-b2722559.html)
7. [Album artist 179 - Justin Bieber, Chart2000](https://pop.news.chart2000.com/music/nbtunm.htm)
8. [Mixed Critic Reviews for My World 2.0, Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/music/my-world-20/justin-bieber/critic-reviews?dist=neutral)
9. [Billboard, March 27, 2010 issue (Justin Bieber feature and sidebar), WorldRadioHistory](https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/00s/2010/BB-2010-03-27.pdf)
10. [Justin Bieber - My World 2.0 (CD), Amoeba Music credits](https://www.amoeba.com/my-world-2-0-cd-justin-bieber/albums/831540/)
11. [Justin Bieber: My World 2.0 Tracks & Reviews, AllMusic](https://www.allmusic.com/album/my-world-20-mw0001964538)
12. ['My World 2.0': How Justin Bieber Took It To The Next Level, uDiscover Music](https://www.udiscovermusic.com/stories/justin-bieber-my-world-2-0-debut-album/)
13. [Justin Bieber erobert als jüngster Künstler seit Stevie Wonder Platz 1 der US-Billboardcharts, Presseportal (Universal International Division)](https://finanzen.presseportal.de/pm/58621/1588687)
14. [Justin Bieber sells rights to 'Baby,' rest of music catalog, AP News](https://apnews.com/article/a3e0b4a37feadf2ee0f808bde94c2c10)
15. [Read Positive User Reviews for My World 2.0, Metacritic (AllMusic review excerpt)](https://www.metacritic.com/music/my-world-20/justin-bieber/user-reviews?dist=positive)
16. [Justin Bieber lanza nuevo disco por sorpresa, El País](https://elpais.com/cultura/2025-07-10/justin-bieber-lanza-nuevo-disco-por-sorpresa-el-primero-en-cuatro-anos-con-20-canciones.html)
---
*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Music › Musical works and recordings › Albums and recorded releases › Studio albums › Pop albums › 2010s albums › Debut pop albums*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license