Early Starts in Entertainment
Both Justin Bieber and Jaden Smith got their starts in the entertainment industry at a very young age. Bieber was born in 1994 in London, Ontario and grew up in Stratford, Ontario. Even from a young age, he had a passion for music and taught himself to play various instruments like drums, guitar and trumpet. At age 12, Bieber began posting videos of himself singing covers of popular songs on YouTube.

One of his videos was viewed by talent manager Scooter Braun in 2008, when Bieber was just 13 years old. Impressed by his raw talent and charisma, Braun tracked Bieber down in Stratford and convinced him and his mother to move to Atlanta to pursue a career in music. From there, Bieber’s rise was meteoric. He gained popularity through his YouTube videos and was soon signed to RBMG Records.

Jaden Smith, born in 1998 in Malibu, California, also got an early start in show business thanks to his famous parents – actors Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith. At just 8 years old, Smith landed his breakout role in 2006’s The Pursuit of Happyness, starring alongside his father. The critically acclaimed film was a huge success and launched Smith as a young actor to watch.

Over the next several years, he appeared in films like The Day the Earth Stood Still, The Karate Kid, and After Earth alongside his father. Acting clearly came naturally to Smith from a young age, just as music did for Bieber. Both leveraged their raw talent and youthful charm to gain fame and success at a very early point in their careers.

Transition from Acting to Music
While they both got their starts in entertainment as young actors, Bieber and Smith both made notable transitions into the music industry as they got older. For Bieber, it was clearly his primary passion from the beginning. After gaining fame through his YouTube covers, he released his debut EP My World in 2009. The album featured the hit single “One Time” and established Bieber as a new pop star to watch.

His first full-length studio album My World 2.0 followed in 2010, featuring collaborations with Ludacris and Usher. It debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, selling over 300,000 copies in its first week. Bieber was only 16 years old. Over the next several years, he cemented his status as a global pop phenomenon with albums like Under the Mistletoe, Believe, and Purpose. Music became his main focus and greatest success.

While Smith began as an actor, he also showed early signs of musical ambition. In 2010, at just 12 years old, he released his debut rap single “I’m Looking.” A few years later, in 2015, he released his debut studio album Syre under the moniker Jaden. The eclectic album dabbled in pop, rock, R&B and hip hop and received mixed reviews from critics.

In 2018, Smith released a second album Erys which explored more conceptual themes. While his music career was still in its early stages, Smith was clearly transitioning more into music as he got older, just as Bieber had before him. Both leveraged their early fame from acting into successful crossover careers centered around music.

Family Connections in Entertainment
Another similarity between Bieber and Smith is that they both come from families with strong connections to the entertainment industry. For Bieber, his manager Scooter Braun played a pivotal role in his rise to fame. As a powerful figure in the music business, Braun had the expertise and connections necessary to help a young, talented singer break through.

His guidance and support was crucial in the early days as Bieber transitioned from YouTube to recorded music. Braun helped steer Bieber’s career path and sign with the right labels and collaborators. Having that industry insider on his team gave Bieber a huge advantage that many aspiring artists lack.

Smith’s entertainment lineage is even more direct, as both of his parents are globally famous actors with decades of experience in film and television. Will Smith in particular is one of the biggest movie stars in the world. Growing up in that environment undoubtedly helped shape Smith and expose him to the entertainment industry from a young age.

His parents’ connections and experience navigating fame likely provided invaluable guidance and support that has helped Smith’s own career thus far. Both Bieber and Smith were able to leverage the industry knowledge and connections of mentors like Braun and Smith’s parents to gain exposure and support early on. Their family ties played a role in propelling their success.

Staying in the Public Eye

Another similarity between Bieber and Smith is that they have both remained prominent public figures even when not actively promoting a new project. Both are not just musicians and actors, but celebrities who court public attention through their non-work lives as well. Bieber in particular dealt with a turbulent transition into adulthood that played out very publicly.

In his late teens and early 20s, Bieber struggled with brushes with the law involving drag racing, egg attacks on a neighbor’s home, and an arrest for DUI. Photos emerged of him smoking marijuana. This “bad boy” image tarnished his reputation with some fans but also kept him constantly in the headlines.

Smith has also made non-career related tabloid fodder through his unique fashion sense and unconventional lifestyle. He dyes his hair bold colors, wears unusual outfits, and shares esoteric thoughts on social media, keeping people guessing about his personality and perspective on the world.

Both have amassed huge followings on social media, allowing them to communicate directly with fans in a very modern way. Even when not working, they remain constant subjects of public fascination, speculation and gossip columns. This high-profile status outside of their creative fields helps sustain interest in what they do next, for better or worse. Staying in the spotlight in this multi-faceted way is a similarity between their experiences with fame and celebrity.

Musical Connections and Solo Pursuits
While Bieber and Smith came up differently, through YouTube covers and acting respectively, music remains core to who they are as artists. Bieber in particular has evolved into a hugely successful singer and songwriter with global hits under his belt. Smith’s pursuits have been more experimental so far, but he clearly aims to forge his own path in hip hop and beyond.

Bieber has collaborated with some of the top names in pop music, including Drake, Ed Sheeran, DJ Khaled and others. His 2015 album Purpose featured the number one hits “Sorry” and “Love Yourself” cementing his status as a hitmaker. In 2021, he returned with Justice, showcasing his vocal growth and versatility across genres.

Smith’s musical output so far has been more eclectic and conceptual. On Syre and Erys he blended pop, electronic, hip hop and R&B into moody, avant-garde compositions. The albums received mixed reviews but demonstrated his ambition to push creative boundaries rather than chase hits. He also founded the musical collective MSFTSrep which explores abstract fusions of sound.

While their styles differ, both clearly take music seriously as a long-term career path and creative outlet, not just a supplemental thing. Bieber aims for crossover pop success while Smith favors experimentalism – but music drives them as artists now beyond their early beginnings in other fields. Their passion and pursuit of solo music careers is another similarity in their trajectories.

Public Perceptions of Youth and Talent
Both Bieber and Smith achieved fame and success very young, but public perceptions of them have been quite different. Bieber’s early rise led some to criticize him as just a manufactured pop star, while others saw his immense talent. As he grew up in the spotlight, opinions became more polarized over his behavior.

Smith experienced less controversy but also less mainstream commercial success so far. Some see him as more of an “acquired taste” artist pursuing loftier goals than hits. Both face skepticism about whether they can sustain relevance into adulthood, now that they’ve outgrown their “child star” phases.

However, both have proven adept at evolving and maturing as artists while maintaining devoted fanbases. Bieber’s recent albums show a more vulnerable, grown-up side. Smith remains dedicated to pushing boundaries and exploring new sounds on his own terms. Their longevity proves talent and hard work can overcome early public doubts based on youth or perceived image.

In conclusion, while Bieber and Smith came up differently through YouTube and acting, their careers share notable similarities – early success as multi-hyphenate entertainers very young, transitions focused on solo music careers, reliance on family/mentor support systems, constant public attention both in and out of the spotlight, and persevering past doubts about sustaining relevance into adulthood. Both continue progressing as artists on their own unique trajectories within the entertainment industry nearly two decades later.