Social media has recently exploded with a name some people assumed had fallen permanently from grace: pop sensation Justin Bieber.
But instead of the usual criticism about his scandalous antics, teens and tweens alike have once again caught the epidemic that swept the nation four years ago. That’s right — Bieber Fever is back.
In 2014, Bieber’s reckless partying, multiple DUIs and a mugshot — in which he beamed at the jail camera — circulated throughout social media. It seemed he was doomed to the dubious fame of once-great celebrities who had gone too far.
Recent months have shown that reports of Bieber’s demise were premature. After the countless promotions of his new album “Purpose” through his Instagram and various talk shows, along with his captivating new look, Beliebers seem to have risen from the dead.
Senior Aakash Thumaty, a newly converted Belieber, described Bieber’s new album as “genuinely pure art.”
“His album is straight fire. It speaks to me,” Thumaty said.
Thumaty has especially enjoyed Bieber’s hit, “Love Yourself,” due to how much he can relate to his lyrics and the message behind them.
“Everything he says is exactly what I’m thinking, but in a more melodic form.”
Unlike Thumaty, who has never had any opinions about Bieber, people who were once filled with passionate hate for the singer have now replaced that hate with utter infatuation, bordering insane craze.
Bieber Fever began six years ago when Bieber was an innocent 16-year-old Canadian boy with an adorable hair flip and a sweet smile. Fans have seen its peaks and falls, but it’s safe to assume that Bieber Fever is here to stay. Not only are the same fans beginning to like him again, his haters are growing fond of him as well, even after all the foul statements they made about the singer just months ago.
Sophomore Gina Hinojosa said she has loved Bieber since the beginning, but she admits to losing interest in his music due to his bad behavior.
“I liked him at first because he was cute and an amazing singer,” Hinojosa said. “When he hit his rough patch a few years ago, I didn’t think as highly of him anymore as I used to, but I was still a fan.”
Now that Bieber cut his hair and changed his sound, teenagers throughout America are jumping onto the Bieber bandwagon. Because Bieber is now considered “cool,” people who once despised him suddenly love him.
“I wouldn’t consider myself a kind of bandwagon fan, but now that he’s cleaned up his act and released his new album, I’m obsessed again,” Hinojosa said.