Justin Bieber will be featured on the cover of the August issue of Rolling Stone, and though he might be tired of all those Justin Timberlake comparisons, he might have set himself up for a few more.
The pop star retweeted the cover photo after a fan got her RS copy in the mail and tweeted out a photo of it. The headline reads, "Hot, Ready, Legal," and the accompanying photo shows a much more mature version of the singer than his fans might be used to.
Justin on the cover of the August issue of Rolling Stone twitpic.com/a8ghvj
A toned Bieber is seen standing in front of a wall, wearing a white tank top. The top is tight enough so that the necklace he's wearing underneath shows through the fabric.
Although Timberlake went shirtless for his 2002 solo cover, the vibe of Bieber's latest Rolling Stone cover is still reminiscent of that cover, as Bieber advances his career with hopes of making the leap from tween dream to legitimate adult pop star.
This marks the second Rolling Stone cover for the 18-year-old. He appeared on the magazine in February 2011, coincidentally also wearing a tank top but with a leather jacket over it. The accompanying interview spawned controversy after the magazine quoted Bieber as saying, "I really don't believe in abortion." They later released an editorial note clarifying that "an editing error" led to Bieber being misquoted by the magazine. Bites from this latest interview had yet to be released by press time.
Bieber's timing on the cover of the magazine lines up with several big events for the singer. He just wrapped up production on his latest music video, for his Big Sean-assisted track "As Long as You Love Me," and will hit the road beginning in September for his Believe tour.
What do you think of Bieber's Rolling Stone cover? Tell us in the comments!