Justin Bieber named one of Time’s 100 most influential people

Apparently purple high-tops, wind-swept mop tops and songs about babies are pretty influential these days—or at least that’s what the folks at Time seem to think. The newsweekly has just named Justin Bieber, Stratford’s pop prince, one of its 100 most influential people in the world, an honour bestowed upon those whose “ideas spark dialogue and dissent and sometimes even revolution.” And who better to justify the selection in those august pages than Bieber’s mentor, Usher? Here’s what the R&B singer wrote:

Looking back at his incredible run, the reality of who he is and what he’s accomplished far exceeds anybody’s expectations of him. What’s interesting and will keep the world watching is that at the same time he’s having this incredible success, he’s like any other kid living a normal life.

Right. We’re still not sure what to make of Bieber’s inclusion on a list that features actual luminaries like Tom Ford, Google’s Larry Page, and Canada-bred Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne, who almost single-handedly rescued America’s third largest automaker and saved thousands of jobs. Then again, Bieber did once rescue his mom from some unruly birthday candles, so who are we to judge?

• Justin Bieber — The 2011 Time 100 Poll [Time Magazine]