On a sunny July morning in 2009, I accidentally fell into the start of a 6-year love affair with the one, the only, Justin Bieber. Disclaimer: this is a one-sided love affair. Justin does not, by any means, know of my existence — unless he can recall that time we locked eyes at his concert on June 29, 2010. I remember, obviously.
It all happened so fast: I turned on the radio in the kitchen of my family’s home in rural Montana while I washed dishes with my sister. On came Justin Bieber’s first hit, “One Time,” the song of the summer. Commence Bieber Fever.
The recent past held a lot of ups and downs in Justin’s reputation and career — scandal, heartbreak, several bad haircuts — and with that, parallel ups and downs in my general well-being as a fangirl. But with his most recent single "What Do You Mean" gaining popularity and a new album slated for release on Nov. 13, Justin just might be making the comeback I’ve been crossing my fingers for since mid-2013. I know, I know, it’s all very complicated. So to help non-Beliebers better understand the highs and lows of Bieber fandom, here is a comprehensive timeline detailing the history of the rise and fall and rise of the Belieber Empire...set alongside some of my life events, for context.
“The Rise”
January 2007
- JB: Justin’s mother uploads a video of him singing Neyo’s "So Sick" at a singing competition to his YouTube channel, Kidrauhl.
- Me: Blissfully unaware 7th grader just trying to make it through the days of co-ed gym classes, braces and science fair projects.
June 2007-October 2008
- JB: Future manager Scooter Braun stumbles upon Justin’s videos on the ‘Tube, introduces young Bieber to R&B sensation Usher, and Justin moves to Atlanta when he signs with Island Records and begins recording.
- Me: Spends summer 2007 in Japan listening to J-Pop and surviving solely on white rice and Pocky; prays for removal of braces through 2008; still knows nothing of Justin Bieber.
May 2009
- JB: Justin releases his first single, “One Time,” and begins trek down road to stardom.
July 2009
- JB: “One Time” becomes available for download on iTunes, along with free music video featuring JB partying at Usher’s mansion. (Sidenote: definitive best seconds of said music video occur from 2:46-2:48. You make us happy, too, Justin.)
- Me: First hears “One Time” while on vacation in Montana, goes on to listen to it non-stop for the remainder of summer; discovers Justin’s Neyo covers on YouTube; falls in love.
November 2009
- JB: Releases first album, “My World,” which goes platinum, and 7 of its songs break the Billboard Top 100 chart.
- JB: Trips during a concert in London and breaks foot on stage, inspiring hate from the haters.
- Me: Sees Justin perform live for the first time in Minneapolis, him in a foot-cast and me holding a “Get well soon Biebs” poster.
2010, in general
- JB: This is more or less the Year of Our Bieber. Commence success in release of second album, a sold-out world tour, a best-selling autobiography, and a boat load of AMA’s.
- JB: Begins dating fellow teen celeb Selena Gomez. Beliebers around the world let out a collective sob.
- Me: Sees Justin live for the second time in Minneapolis on June 29, makes repeated eye contact with Bieber himself. Faints.
February 2011
- JB: First 3-D Concert film "Never Say Never" hits the theaters, instant hit.
- Me: Sees "Never Say Never" on opening night, spends 20 minutes sitting in the car post-movie weeping with best friend about how Justin Bieber will never know our names, followed by incessant tweeting of “Please follow me!” to @JustinBieber.
“The Decline”
Late 2011/Early 2012
- JB: 20-year-old Mariah Yeater of California names Bieber in a paternity lawsuit; claims three-month-old son is the product of a hit-it-and-quit-it-type scenario backstage at his concert.
- Me: Refuses to believe such nonsense. Goes about life normally.
November 2012
- JB: Justin attends ceremony to accept an award presented by the Canadian Prime Minister; wears overalls and a t-shirt to the ceremony. Later that month, The Biebs is booed off stage in Toronto.
- Me: Picks up One Direction’s "Take Me Home" album at Target.
2013, in general
- JB: Between the reckless driving, lashing out at paparazzi, the German monkey incident, and the notorious “Fuck Bill Clinton” episode, Justin hits rock bottom.
- Me: Enjoying my new-found love for Harry Styles; 1D posters slowly begin to outnumber Justin Bieber photos on my bedroom wall.
January 2014
- JB: Justin Drew Bieber is pulled over for drag racing, fails a drug test and lands himself in the slammer; looks particularly idiotic in his mugshot.
- Me: Finally breaks off loving, one-sided relationship with the Biebs; posts tweet making fun of his ridiculous mugshot. Changes identity from Belieber to Directioner.
The rest of 2014
- JB: A lot of tattoos, some on-off love stuff with Selena, a couple of stupid haircuts; no one really cares about Justin Bieber anymore.
- Me: Now a 21-year-old college student; sometimes listens to “One Time” (only in headphones, obviously) and sighs, remembering the Golden Age of the Belieber fandom.
“The Rise (again)”
January 2015
- JB: Justin appears in a Calvin Klein undies advertisement; shows off new, 20-year-old, sculpted, tattooed bod; critics skeptical of legitimacy of junk size.
- Me: Does a triple-take upon discovering Justin’s new model pics; refollows @JustinBieber on Twitter and Instagram.
Summer 2015
- JB: “Where Are Ü Now” dominates radio stations; Beliebers return to the fandom from two-year hiatus.
- Me: Listens to “Where Are Ü Now” on repeat at the gym/at home/on the train/at work/everywhere; begins to dust off old Justin Bieber posters; redownloads "My World and "My World 2.0" to iPhone.
Late Summer 2015
- JB: Ditto for “What Do You Mean?”
- JB: Announces release of new album, "Purpose," for November 2015.
- Me: Shouts from the rooftops. Justin Bieber is back!
And there you have it. He still has a stupid haircut, still has a reputation, and still loves Selena Gomez, but he’s making a comeback, and no one can ignore it. We’re (read: I, Sarah Ehlen, am) rooting for you, Justin. Make us proud.
