Justin Bieber details 'struggle' with childhood fame

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif., Nov. 5 (UPI) -- Justin Bieber is showing signs of stabilizing his once-chaotic life as a famous pop-star, but the Canadian celebrity says childhood stardom almost "destroyed" him.

In a recent interview with Billboard, the 21-year-old "Sorry" singer dished on his personal experience as a young global star, telling the magazine although life looked fabulous on the outside, he's disillusioned. "I'm struggling," he admitted.

"Certain things broke my trust with people. Situations happen that taint your mind. I started going through the motions. I felt like people were judging me all the time. I came out alive. I came out swinging. But I was close to letting [fame] completely destroy me."

Citing the amount of backlash and judgement he faced growing up under the spotlight, Bieber recounted the thoughts often running through his head: "You're not good enough. People hate you. You try too hard."

Bieber's tumultuous reputation is taking a turn for the better, however. His return to music with his latest project, Purpose, is showing itself to play a redemptive role in the singer's life. His single "Sorry" debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard + Twitter Top Tracks list while he also released the video for "I'll Show You." The latter track consists of such vulnerable lyrics as "It's like they want me to be perfect/ But they don't know that I'm hurting."

Bieber is also closing certain chapters of his life concerning brushes with the law. On Monday, he successfully cleared probation for the case in which he egged his former neighbor's house. Bieber also completed anger management as well as 40 hours of community service at a homeless shelter.

The Toronto Star reports the program manager of Bieber's volunteer assignment commended the singer in a letter to the court, saying he believes Bieber "learned his lesson and will be a productive member of society and a great human being."

Child stardom may have greatly influenced the star's late teens, but Bieber says he's learned quite a lot from it. "I wouldn't suggest being a child star," he told Billboard. "It's the toughest thing in the world."