He's a force to be reckoned with now, guys. It's official. Justin Bieber has his roots in the acoustic singer and songwriter scene, when it was just him and his guitar, but he's risen to be one of the most relevant pop artists of our time. He's become a household name: whether it's negatively or positively, people are talking. Everyone seems to have an opinion about what this young star is up to, both musically and personally. More and more on Facebook and Twitter, I've noticed people who used to hate Bieber or make fun of me for liking his music are now talking about how much of a jam "What Do You Mean," is and how much they can relate to "Love Yourself," especially my guy friends. You don't have to like him or respect him as a person to appreciate him as a musician, but let's face it. Many of us finally do. I can't deny my shameless obsession with Bieber's new album, but it wasn't really as sudden as I make it out to be. My conversion to this lifestyle was definitely gradual. Here are the five stages of reluctantly becoming a Belieber.

1. Outwardly Open Hatred

Most people spend the most time in this stage. This is when you go around breaking your little sister's Justin Bieber CDs and locking yourself in your room under your pillows so your ears don't bleed. You made fun of his skinny jeans and dumb designer glasses, and probably despised him for dating Selena instead of you. And don't even get me started about the signature luscious Bieber flow.

2. Denial

At this point you probably found his old Kidrauhl videos on YouTube and secretly swooned a little at him singing "Cry Me A River" by Justin Timberlake. You'd never admit it to anyone, but you were a little jealous of him serenading Esmee Dentures that Chris Brown song instead of you. You probably swore up and down at the idea of your friends trying to drag you to the Bieber movie, but found a part of yourself gain a little tinge of respect when you learned of his musical background and where he's come from. But regardless, if anyone asked, "Baby" is still annoying and you're still firmly rooted in a hatred for him which would never change. Or so you thought.

3. Flat Out Lying To Yourself

Now, "Boyfriend" probably came out and made you question everything you've ever stood for. That deep whisper in the beginning, and when he hit that falsetto? Oh, boy. You can sit by the fire eating fondue with me any day. It's no coincidence that his album "Believe" is what did it for some people. You still wanted to hate him, but you had to admit to at least some of his success, especially since he was working with people like Nicki Minaj, Drake, and Big Sean. You were secretly jamming to him when no one was around, and favoriting his pictures on Twitter. Around the same time, all of his beach photos started circulating, and you felt like a creep swooning at his abs when it seems like just a week ago he was flipping his hair and releasing the "One Less Lonely Girl" music video. You pretended to still hate him, but you were really just lying to yourself.

4. Inward Acceptance

There's no turning back at this point. Your friends have already fallen into the obsession, and they're dragging you down with them. I mean, when they play "Love Yourself" on repeat 29 times a day, you kind of have no choice but to like it. The only issue now is admitting it out loud.

5. Coming Out to Your Friends And Family

Instead of having that sit-down conversation like, "Mom, Dad, the thing is..." you've just started playing the "Purpose" album out loud in your dorm and in the kitchen at home, so people just start to realize your conversion on their own. Most of your friends will probably congratulate you, because they've been dreaming of this day for years now. You'll probably receive a lot of ridicule from the non-Beliebers, but don't worry, they'll be right by your side eventually. It's inevitable.

6. Shameless Beliebing

At this point, someone may as well hand you a tiara and sash with his name on it because, congratulations: You're officially a Belieber! It's been a long, winding road, but you've officially made it. You've stopped changing the radio station when the Biebs comes on a long time ago, and you don't regret it one bit. In fact, you probably turn it up even louder so you can jam that much harder. You might resent the fact that one of the laughingstocks of your childhood has converted you this way, or you might have no shame at all. The point is there's no more denying it. You Beliebe. But don't worry, you're definitely not alone.