The battle for the top spot is heating up. Justin Bieber and One Direction will be releasing their new albums on the same date, splitting teen fans and pitting the two of the world's biggest acts against each other. So far, Bieber has been outspoken on the brewing competition, letting the world know about his thoughts on his new rivals.

In an interview with New Zealand radio show SMASH! The Edge, Bieber addressed the upcoming clash of the music titans, according to a report from Entertainment Weekly. He called it "a friendly competition" between him and the boys of One Direction as well as something he's very excited about.

Taking on a more serious note, the 21-year-old explained that choosing the same release date as him would promote One Direction's album more extensively and get the people, including him, buzzing about the group's new album.

"I don't know if they're really going on the road much, but we're talking about them right now, so it gives them some promo, right?" he pointed out. "So that's probably why they did it."

He added, "I think it was strategy on their part, because my release date was first."

Although the world is eager to pit them against each other and their loyal fans are certainly up for the competition, Bieber brushed off the bad blood.

"It's whatever," he said. "It's gonna be fun. I'm excited to see what happens."

His upcoming album will be Bieber's first in three years, and the singer has not yet confirmed the album name. However, reports say he has decided to call it "Purpose." A series of three photos on his Instagram account showed the single word with the hashtag "#6weeks" and "#nov13," likely referring to the album's release date. Bieber's new tattoo of the word "Purpose", as posted on Instagram, also tipped off the fans to the album name.

Whatever it's called, the upcoming album is bound to be a comeback hit for Bieber with tracks like "What Do You Mean?" and "Where R U Now," which both achieved success on the charts ahead of the album.

Meanwhile, One Direction's album "Made In The A.M." will be their last before their hiatus. The band members, Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Liam Payne and Louis Tomlinson, will be taking a break in 2016.

Although they've assured the fans that the break-up is temporary, the upcoming album will have to tide over the "Directioners" for a while as the boys pursue their solo careers. "Made In The A.M." will feature singles "Drag Me Down" and "Infinity."