With Justin Bieber’s ‘Purpose’ album turning everyone into ‘beliebers’, I have to say I’m ecstatic. I’ve been a Bieber-lover since his pre-puberty, ‘One Less Lonely Girl’ days. Even when he went off the deep end – making headlines for reckless driving, drug use, fighting with the paparazzi, showing up late to concerts, and other irresponsible behavior – I stood by the fact he was just like any other rebellious and annoying teenager. After all, he grew up in the spotlight, and his bad choices resulted in media coverage rather than the typical grounding. It wasn’t necessarily his fault.
Now that he’s cleaned his act up a bit (thank goodness) and released some mega-hits (with my all time favorite, Sorry), people are giving him the same kind of love he got circa-2009, when he was a little kid with a slightly feminine voice and a purple-filled wardrobe.
For old times sake, let’s look back at the stages of J. Biebs.
Stage One: Pre-Puberty
photo from fanpop.com
Justin Bieber, a YouTube sensation, hits headlines for his charming personality and luscious locks. His first hit, ‘One Time’, tells a beautiful tale of adolescent love. I can remember hearing this hit and asking myself if it was a girl or boy… *learns it’s a boy* *cue crushing*.
Stage Two: Fun and Fresh
photo from theredish.com
Bieber starts touring with his albums My World and My World 2.0 (aka the hits ‘One Less Lonely Girl’, ‘Baby’, and ‘Eenie Meenie’ with Sean Kingston). This time of Justin’s life is filled with purple accents, hair flips, crazy crowds of screaming girl fans, and the introduction of silver chain necklaces to his wardrobe. Get it, lil’ Biebs.
Stage Three: He’s Not a Regular Pop Star, He’s a Cool Pop Star
photo from intheknow
Justin comes out with his album and movie ‘Never Say Never’. He’s touring, collaborating with hit artists like Nicki Minaj, and overall super cool at this stage. His wardrobe is cool and (in his own words) ‘swaggy’. Justin’s growing up. *Tear*. Jelena (Selena and Justin) is also a thing.
Stage Four: Bad Boy
photo from dailynews
Lots of nightclubbing, tattoos, drugs, drinking, traffic violations, and hanging out with Hollywood rappers like Rick Ross and P. Diddy. Jelena is no longer a thing, and maybe he’s making his irresponsible decisions out of heartbreak… or maybe he’s just a rebellious teen. Either way, Justin is less in the news for his music, and more for his poor decisions. *sigh*
Stage Five – Current Stage: Redeeming Himself
photo from starpittsburgh
With the release of super catchy hits ‘What Do You Mean’ and ‘Love Yourself,’ Justin shows he has Hollywood support of him and his music – from the Kardashians to Victoria’s Secret models to fellow pop stars. He’s proving to his fans that he has his act together, and that he’s still figuring out who he is. His new hair and wardrobe are funky fresh and his new hits and dance videos like ‘Sorry’ are a force to be reckoned with. Way to go, Justin.