Whether or not you were a die-hard Belieber at the birth of Justin Bieber's singing career, there was no denying Bieber's talent. Justin Bieber came into the spotlight as a young, innocent and adorable teen with a remarkable voice. Discovered via YouTube, the beginning of his life had been that of a normal teen. With his big break, though, not only did he become famous worldwide, but he also became prey to the cruel and nasty criticisms that follow celebrities. At first, most of these hateful comments focused on how feminine Justin looked, even comparing his physique to that of a little girl. During this time in Justin Bieber's life, he was most known for his music, and the judgement constantly being thrown his way.
Time passes, though, and as Justin Bieber matured, he became known less for his music and "girly" looks, and more for his juvenile delinquency. Whether it be peeing in a mop bucket in a nightclub and yelling "f**k Bill Clinton!," offending several countries (i.e. spray painting graffiti in Brazil and Colombia or kicking the Argentinian flag off the stage during a concert), driving recklessly (Bieber's staple), or abandoning his pet capuchin monkey, Mally, in Germany; Justin Bieber was a juvenile delinquent whose reckless antics were constantly trending in the news and on social media. Justin stormed through his late teen years, leaving chaos in his wake.
But it seemed that another turning point in his career came with his roast on Comedy Central and his 2015 VMA performance. Singing on the VMA stage for the first time in two years, Justin blew the audience away with his singing and dance performance. By the end of the number, even Justin was in tears.
I remember sitting in my room watching the VMAs live, and being shocked when the camera panned in on a crying Justin Beiber, kneeling on the stage floor. My first thought at seeing Justin in tears was, Maybe he has finally grown up. I thought, the self-absorbed child who had been running amok for the past two years could not really be this young man, who seemed to be overcome by emotion and, perhaps, grateful for the many gifts he had in life. His life had started out normal, and without notoriety. It was by his talent (and to be realistic, luck) that he had been discovered on YouTube and mentored by Usher, which led to his life being drastically and irrevocably changed. When Justin broke down at the VMAs, I felt the first flickers of hope, and I am sure many others watching did also. It would be following this performance that Justin Bieber would actively start promoting that he had moved on from his "bad boy" phase.
Gearing up for the release of his new album, "Purpose," Justin went on an unofficial apology tour. Appearing several times on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show," as well as agreeing to be roasted (as previously mentioned), He worked hard to convince audiences and fans of his sincerity. His overall message seemed to be this: I know I did things in the past, I am not proud of those things, I want to move past those things. He began speaking about faith in interviews, and even said he wants to "live like Jesus." Even the titles of songs in his album, such as "Sorry" or "I'll Show You" seemed to support that his hooligan days were a thing of the past. Many fans dared to believe, including myself, that his arrogance and delinquency were behind him, and that it was music that mattered most to him.
For anyone who willingly or unwillingly followed Justin Beiber's rollercoaster of a life (and career), it was a relief to see that Justin had finally grown into a mature artist. We could finally feel secure as fans, not having to worry that he would do something immature or illegal (or both) that would make us feel equally immature for supporting him. It is because of his convincing, seemingly sincere apologies, that his latest antic hits so hard.
On Thursday Jan. 7, 2016, Justin Bieber was kicked out of a Mayan archaeological site while visiting the ancient ruins. According to Adriana Velazquez-Morlet, director of the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), Justin was kicked out because he pulled down his pants and insulted the staff, as well as attempted to enter prohibited areas and climb onto the ruins.
See, Justin? It's not that hard to keep your pants on.
In my opinion, actions speak louder than words, and while I had not been 100 percent convinced that Justin was a changed man, I had been hopeful. This newest act of delinquency, then, forces me to doubt the sincerity of his "changed ways," and think once again that, while he may be 21 now, and not 15, he is still a young boy, lost in fame, fortune and die-hard fans.
Maybe Justin would do better in Neverland, where he never has to grow up.
