Something rare happened to pop-music sensation Justin Bieber at the Billboard Music Awards on Sunday night.

He was booed. Loudly.

Bieber, who for the past four years has entertained his fans ”“ affectionately known as “Beliebers” ”“ with his dance-music inspired songs such as “Baby, Baby,” heard a chorus of boos rain down upon him after receiving the inaugural Milestone Award. The award is voted on by the fans and is for performers who show musical ingenuity and achievement.

That’s all well and good, but the name of the award is “Milestone,” and Bieber is only 19. He has been successful for a short period of time, and while he may deserve an award, he hasn’t reached milestones. Those musical achievements have been set by artists whose careers have spanned decades, and whose achievements were not ushered in overnight by great marketing campaigns.

It turns out that the audience at the awards show felt the same way. Bieber disagreed with the sentiment and took the moment to tell the audience in attendance and watching on television, “This is not a gimmick. I’m an artist, and I should be taken seriously.”

It is a gimmick, unfortunately, and Bieber needs to realize this soon or else he is going to crash and burn at a young age.

No one can deny his success ”“ the millions of albums sold, the awards he has won and the money he has made ”“ and we applaud him for that. We are not attacking him as a person. There are, however, hundreds of musical acts that have had this kind of success, but faded into the night as their fans ”“ who are mostly pre-teen to young teen girls ”“ matured, grew discerning tastes in music and moved on from pop acts. The New Kids on the Block were as big as Bieber in the late 1980s and early 90s, but they were out of the spotlight as quickly as they arrived. ‘NSync, The Backstreet Boys and the Jonas Brothers were all as popular as Bieber, but their success was short-lived.

Most of these acts usually have a life span of about five years before the next big thing comes along and kicks them from the pop-music podium, allowing large music companies to keep exploiting musical acts for monetary gain. Bieber is young, but the older he gets, the less appealing he will be to his core audience. It’s sad, but it’s the truth of the pop-music world.

He put out an album of acoustic music last year and it did well with his fans buying it, but adults rejected it, and this probably isn’t sitting well with him as he realizes that his window to become legitimate is closing.

Bieber isn’t the problem, the marketers of this type of music are. Usher discovered a young Bieber on YouTube, singing and dancing in a self-made video. Usher figured out that he could market Bieber ”“ who isn’t as musically gifted as thousands of other musicians struggling to make it ”“ and turned him into an instant pop star. Bieber never had to struggle to live his dream. He never had to start small-time at local clubs, grow a following, travel from venue to venue in a beatup automobile, be hungry, tired and live for just the music.

Great artists who have staying power such as The Rolling Stones, Elvis Presley, The Beatles, Metallica, Aerosmith, Led Zeppelin, Buddy Guy, B.B. King, Bonnie Rait, Joni Mitchell and so on, developed their musical styles, their artistry and their souls through a life of struggles for their craft. Bieber, and many of the pop stars of today, are factory-produced marketing gimmicks, not artists. They might make a lot of money in the meantime and they might be huge sensations, but their youth and lack of understanding of sacrifice and pain, does not lead them down the path of long-term success. It does not allow them to write a song that is filled with true emotion and artistry, which makes them artists.

Bieber should be happy that Usher discovered him, he has become famous and wealthy, and has had great success. He must, however, realize that he cannot be seen as a true artist until life has had time to shape him and force him through struggles that will allow him to craft music that is truly from the soul.

Until then, he is a great pop star and nothing more.

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Today’s editorial was written by Sports Editor Al Edwards on behalf of the Journal Tribune Editorial Board. Questions? Comments? Contact Managing Editor Kristen Schulze Muszynski by calling 282-1535, Ext. 322, or via email at kristenm@journaltribune.com.