New York.
January 1st, 1998.
Mom and I stood shoulder to shoulder in front of Times Square, the cold air biting at our cheeks despite our thick winter coats and scarves. The street was packed with thousands of people, everyone brimming with excitement as they waited for the ball to drop. The neon signs and billboards lit up the entire area, glowing so brightly that it felt like daylight, even though it was nearly midnight. Every now and then, a gust of wind would blow confetti from the rooftops, swirling it around before the real show had even begun. The giant screens displayed the countdown clock, reminding us how little time was left before the new year officially started.
This was Times Square on New Year's Eve—one of the most iconic places to celebrate, and we were right in the middle of it. It felt surreal being here, knowing that people from all over the world were watching this moment on TV, and I was actually standing in the center of it all. The energy was contagious. People were singing, cheering, and laughing, and it seemed like every few minutes someone would start a countdown, even though we still had nearly an hour to go. But that's just New York—always buzzing, always alive.
When the ball finally began to drop, the crowd's excitement reached a fever pitch. The roar of voices around us became deafening as the glowing orb descended slowly, inching closer to the new year. My heart pounded in my chest, not from nerves but from pure adrenaline. When the clock hit midnight, a sea of confetti exploded into the air, showering down over us like snow. The crowd erupted into cheers, fireworks lit up the sky, and I felt Mom's arms wrap around me in a tight hug. We laughed, caught up in the magic of the moment. It was the perfect way to cap off what had been the most unbelievable year of my life.
At the same time, something else incredible was happening—Pokémon was taking over the world. The anime had just started airing on WB, UPN, and FOX stations, and within a matter of weeks, it had become a global sensation. Kids everywhere were glued to their TVs, watching Ash Ketchum and Pikachu take on the Pokémon world, trying to catch 'em all. The phenomenon was unlike anything I'd ever seen. Even crazier was the fact that I got to be part of it. I had sung the Pokémon theme song, and when the show first aired, I didn't think much of it. But then, something wild happened—the song blew up.
Kids everywhere were singing along to the iconic words, "Gotta Catch 'Em All." What most people didn't realize at first was that I was the voice behind it. I remember the first time a kid figured it out. He was watching Pokémon on TV, and suddenly, he stopped and asked his mom, "Isn't that Kevin from Home Alone singing?" Word spread quickly, and soon enough, people were buzzing about it. Kids at school would come up to me, wide-eyed, saying, "Wait, that's YOU?" They had no idea that the same guy from their favorite Christmas movie was also singing the theme to their favorite show. It was like two worlds colliding.
Even more unbelievable was when the song hit the Billboard charts. It climbed all the way to number 51, which was insane to me. A theme song from a cartoon making it onto the Billboard charts was practically unheard of, but that's how massive Pokémon had become. The games—Pokémon Red and Blue—were selling out everywhere. Kids were begging their parents to get them copies, and stores could barely keep up with the demand. I remember hearing about parents camping outside of stores just to make sure they got their hands on the game before it sold out again. Pokémon merchandise was everywhere, from T-shirts and backpack and action figures. It was like the whole world had caught Pokémon fever.
During this same time, Sony had started running ads for the camera I had shot a commercial for. The camera wasn't anything groundbreaking—it was a simple, easy-to-use device that was marketed toward kids and families. It wasn't designed to be some high-end professional camera, but that's exactly what made it so popular. It was the kind of camera you could just pick up and start snapping photos with, no complicated settings or features. In the commercial, they showed me taking pictures, laughing, and just having fun with it, making it seem like a must-have item for every kid. And it worked.
The public reaction was huge. Suddenly, people were lining up outside of stores to buy this camera, and Sony reported record-breaking sales within the first week. It felt like everywhere I turned, I saw someone using that camera, whether it was kids at the park or families at holiday gatherings. It was surreal knowing that something I had been a part of was making such a big splash. Once again, it felt like everything I touched was turning to gold.
News outlets were quick to pick up on the story. I remember flipping through the channels one day and seeing a report on how I had become the "golden boy" of entertainment. Every project I was involved in—whether it was a movie, music, or now even a cartoon—was turning into a massive success. There were headlines in newspapers that said things like, "The Midas Touch: Everything Justin Does Turns to Gold." People were starting to believe that if I was part of a project, it was guaranteed to succeed. It was almost like I had this magical power to turn everything into a hit. Some people even joked that I was like the son of Jesus, sent to bring success to everything I touched. It was a lot to take in as a kid, but at the same time, it felt exciting to be part of something so big.
By the time New Year's rolled around, we had just wrapped up shooting Home Alone 2. The first movie had been in theaters for about two months, and the box office numbers were mind-blowing. In North America alone, the movie had grossed $350 million, and internationally, it had brought in another $400 million, making the total earnings a staggering $750 million. I couldn't wrap my head around it. It didn't seem real that a movie I had been a part of was making that kind of money. Theaters were still packed with people going to see it, and every time I heard about another box office milestone, it felt like I was living in a dream.
But while the movie was still dominating the box office, I was quickly learning that the music world operated a little differently. My album had done well in its first week, selling around 150,000 copies, but after that, things started to slow down. It was tough to watch as the sales began to dip, especially after the huge success of the movie. I realized that in the music industry, things move fast. If you're not constantly putting out new songs or albums, people move on to the next big thing. It was a different kind of pressure, but it taught me an important lesson—if I wanted to stay relevant in the music world, I couldn't just sit back and relax. I had to keep pushing myself to create new music and stay ahead of the curve.
Despite all the craziness, I still tried to keep my life as normal as possible. I was being homeschooled, which helped a lot with balancing work and my personal life. Every weekend, my best friends Jaden and Mark would come over for sleepovers. We'd stay up late playing video games, or we'd head to the community court to play basketball. We'd even go skateboarding around the neighborhood sometimes. Even with all the fame, Jaden and Mark never treated me any differently. To them, I was just Justin, the same friend they'd always had, and that meant the world to me.
I also started taking swimming lessons around this time. I'd go to the pool every day, practicing my strokes and getting better with each session. Swimming was a great way to clear my head and focus on something other than work. At home, I spent a lot of time in my home studio, working on new music. I wanted to keep improving, so I'd experiment with different instruments and techniques, pushing myself to learn as much as I could about music production.
But with the fame came other challenges. Paparazzi were everywhere. Every time I stepped outside, it felt like there was someone with a camera trying to snap a photo of me. It got so bad that we had to hire a security team to keep things under control. We had security guards stationed around the house, and I even had my own personal security detail whenever I went out. It was a strange feeling, having to be so careful all the time, but it was necessary. We also had a driver who would take me and my family wherever we needed to go.
CAA, my agency, was a huge help during all of this. They made sure I had the right people in place to manage everything—from security to scheduling to personal drivers. It was a lot to handle, but with their support, things ran smoothly. They were also instrumental in helping me navigate the business side of things, making sure I had a team of professionals to guide me through this whirlwind of success.
In the end, despite the ups and downs, I knew I was incredibly lucky. Standing there in Times Square with Mom, watching the fireworks light up the sky, I couldn't help but feel grateful for everything that had come my way. It had been a crazy year, but it was just the beginning.