While both Drake and Justin Bieber have certainly cemented their credentials as household names in global pop culture, competition in terms of success, notoriety, and popularity will always exist between the two artists, as it does between many high-profile stars. Popularity, in particular, is often difficult to gauge as the very nature of popularity is subjective, but there are many tell-tale signs out there that indicate who comes out on top.
According to social media statistics, Canada-born singer and songwriter, Justin Bieber, is more popular than Drake as a celebrity and global icon, but, record sales and streaming analytics suggest that Drake’s music is significantly more popular than Bieber’s.
Ultimately, the contest to determine who out of the two A-listers is most popular is hard to judge, and fans of both artists will argue that their favorite star is far superior to the other. Despite the subjectivity surrounding the subject, the achievements of the two individuals are comparable and compared they shall be!
Social Media Icons
On Instagram, Bieber has over 140 million followers, which is more than double the amount of followers that Drake has on the same platform. Bieber’s IG account is a perfect reflection of the artist’s star status and he regularly keeps his fans baying for more with a never-ending series of shameless body shots, pictures of his wife Hailey Bieber, countless encounters with stars such as Tyler, The Creator, and even photos of donkeys…
The singer – whose net worth is thought to around $265 million – also uses his IG account to open up and express his more vulnerable side to his fanbase. In a post in September 2019, Bieber opened up about his ailing mental health and drug use and explored the idea that child stardom often paves the way to difficulties later in life.
In the post, he wrote: “You see I have a lot of money, clothes, cars, accolades, achievements, awards and I was still unfulfilled. Have u noticed the statistics of child stars and the outcome of their life? There is an insane pressure and responsibility put on a child who’s brain, emotions, frontal lobes (decision making) aren’t developed. No rationality, rebellious, things all of us have to go through. But when you add the pressure of stardom it does something to you that’s quite unexplainable.”
On Twitter, Bieber also trumps Drake’s number of total followers by well over 60 million, and while the content posted doesn’t differ too much to his IG account, Bieber has also found himself in hot water every now and then due to a spate of Twitter feuds during the formative years of his stardom.
In the past, celebs such as Drake Bell, Taylor Swift, and Seth Rogan have all found themselves embroiled in Twitter feuds with Bieber and/or his vast fanbase. One of the most well-known incidents, though, involved none other than former President Bill Clinton.
In 2013, a video was leaked online showing Bieber urinating into a bucket and screaming, “F*** Bill Clinton”. Although Clinton never commented on the obscure incident, Bieber allegedly reached out to the former President and apologized, posting a later tweet saying: “@billclinton thanks for taking the time to talk Mr. President. Your words mean alot #greatguy”.
Despite the high-profile altercations, or perhaps because of them, Bieber is definitely the most popular when it comes to social media.
Industry Success
However, when it comes to popularity regarding their creative output and discography, Drake is arguably more popular than Bieber. Of course, both stars are best-selling artists, but, in terms of record sales, Drake’s 170 million sales trump Bieber’s 150 million sales.
Drake also shows up Bieber in regards to the most-streamed songs on Spotify. Drake’s songs ‘One Dance’ (#3) and ‘God’s Plan’ (#7) both beat Bieber’s own most-streamed track ‘Love Yourself’, which sits at just 16th in the rankings.
Drake’s 4 Grammys and 44 Grammy nominations also eclipse Bieber’s own singular Grammy and 10 nominations.
And, it’s not as if Drake has been around longer than Bieber. Drake is a few years older than Bieber, but both of the Canadian artists actually launched their debut albums at a similar time at the beginning of the 2010s.
Ultimately, the argument that Drake’s music is more popular than Bieber’s is valid enough, but there’s plenty more to consider when asking the question which of the two artists is generally more popular.
As popular as Drake’s music is, Justin Bieber was all but born a star and his fame is unlikely to ever be overshadowed by the work of others.