Idolizing Justin
Complete Woman Magazine, September 2003

RCA recording artist Justin Guarini dishes on fame, love and success exclusively with CW.

Ever hit a dating dry spell and thought about how much better off your love life would be if you were famous, with thousands of adoring fans dying to wine and dine? Oh, the glory of fame! Just ask RCA recording artist Justin Guarini whose self-titled debut album and American Idol notoriety helped turn him into an international chick magnet - as he lives out his dream and unleashes a true, undeniable talent. CW associate editor Diana Mirel had a heart-to-heart with the singing sensation to find out the intimate details of stardom...

DATING IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Women go crazy when they see you. Does it freak you out?
No! It's something I've dreamed of for a long time and now it's happening so it makes sense to me! My fan base is comprised mostly of women who go the extra mile for me, and I never get tired of that!

How has dating become more complicated for you?
It's all about what you are and not who you are, so I'm always wary of that.

How can you tell if a woman wants to date you for you?
In terms of letting my guard down, it's all about instinct. I think humans who are conscious of other people and themselves have a very strong instinct about who is out to get them.

Could you handle a serious relationship right now?
That's tough because relationships are all about devotion, time and growth. Right now, I've got a pretty crazy "relationship" with my career and dating someone doesn't fit in very well. I do desire an interpersonal relationship with a woman and I do want love in my life. But, in order to get to the point where I can be secure enough in my right, I need to work on my career.

ON THE PROWL

How can a woman land a great guy like you?
The most important thing is to really understand yourself. There is no point in trying to understand anybody else if you don't know what you want for yourself, who you are and the desires of your heart. You've really got to learn to love yourself before you can expect anyone else to love you or expect yourself to be able to give love freely.

What qualities do you look for in women?
I need someone who has a really great sense of humor, and she has to be secure with herself. In terms of her body, I don't like women who are sticks - gimme some meat and be proud of it! Mostly, it's all about personality. There are so many good-looking people who are raggedy on the inside.

Let's say you're having your own American Idol girlfriend competition. How would you "judge" the women?
They'd have to have some sort of spirituality and have grace under fire. A person's real character comes out when there's trouble going on - that's when you see who you're really dealing with. And the other two categories would be sense of humor and essence.

How would you deal with two women competing for you?
That's seriously dangerous ground...

WORKING IT

What are some of your smoothest moves?
I don't know if I should tell!

Do you ever sing?
That's a last-ditch effort for sure! It's the ace-in-the-hole! Honestly, I'm a very kinesthetic person; I like to touch. I'm also a massage and flower kind of guy for sure.

Do nice guys finish last?
People who are nice to the point of letting people walk all over them do finish last. There's got to be a balance between being nice and being assertive. I love to serve. It's part of how I show people I care for them and there have definitely been people who've abused that.

Did it make you more jaded?
No, I just stand up for myself.

Do you guys really only have a one-track mind?
No, it's at least two! Men think about sex a billion times a day, and I'm one of those men! But there's so much more out there.

SIMPLIFYING THE GAME

What is your longest-running relationship?
About a year and half. It would be very difficult to have something like that right now. There's a better time for it.

What sometimes confuses you about women?
I don't think I'll ever get the emotional nature of women. A woman is an emotional entity and coming from a more logic-based sex, I don't think I'll ever understand how y'all let emotions take over.

What would you change about dating?
If people clearly stated what they wanted and came into relationships with honest intentions, there'd be fewer problems. So often people either think their intentions are clear or they don't even know what they are.

What is the best part about getting into a new relationship?
That moment when you get beyond the barrier of mistrust. Once you get past that barrier, things can fly.

essentialjustin.com