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The Biebs, who will turn 18 on March 1, wants fans to know he's ''not a kid anymore.'' In new interview with V magazine, Justin Bieber explains what it's like to reach adulthood in the midst of the public eye.

He says: “People need to know I’m not a kid anymore. I’m still learning. I’m not going to try to conform to what people want me to be or go out there and start partying, have people see me with alcohol.”

The “Baby” singer appears to be holding fast to his kiddy-friendly reputation in spite of becoming a grownup: “I want to do it at my own pace. I don’t want to start singing about things like sex, drugs and swearing. I’m into love, and maybe I’ll get more into making love when I’m older. But I want to be someone who is respected by everybody.”

Bieber was recently spotted with fresh ink of a spiritual nature – a tattoo of Jesus on the back of his calf – but insists that he doesn’t consider himself religious. He adds: “I haven’t been to church in a long time.”

Rather than identifying as religious, the teen idol holds tight to some “spiritual” beliefs: “I don’t think I’m religious. I am spiritual. I believe that Jesus died on the cross for my sins. I believe that he put me in this position, and that I have to always give him the glory he deserves for putting me here.

“But I don’t consider myself religious. A lot of people who are religious, I think they get lost. They go to church just to go to church. I’m not trying to disrespect them – you know, whatever works for you. But for me, I focus more on praying and talking to him. I don’t have to go to church.”

If Bieber is the teen heartthrob of the moment, he still has dreams of a better tomorrow. He tells the American magazine: “Eventually, I want to become the best at what I do. I want to be the best. In the world. I want to be better than anybody that’s ever done it.

“I don’t want people to think of me as just a teen sensation. I want to transition, and become the greatest.”