Justin Bieber officially stopped being a "teen" star when he turned 20 in 2014. Now that he's 25 as of March 1 he is well into adulthood. Here are 25 ways Bieber has transformed from his days singing "Baby" to being a grown man:
1. Got a haircut: Bieber ditched those side-swept bangs his fans obsessed about for a more adult (and masculine) look in 2011.
2. Got inked ... extensively: As evidenced by police images, Bieber has a reported 10-plus tattoos on his body. This is the same kid who started his ink collection at 16 by getting a "Jonathan Livingston Seagull" tattoo that matches his dad's.
4. Was exposed to scandal: The first smudge on Bieber's squeaky-clean teen image came in 2011, when a young woman named Mariah Yeater falsely claimed that Bieber fathered a child with her after a bathroom rendezvous at one of his concerts. Even though Yeater's story didn't hold water, just the thought of Bieber doing the deed with a fan made the public start to view the kid in a different way.
5. Got serious: He still wants to see "U Smile," but Bieber has pretty much stopped showing his pearly whites in favor of giving cameras a glare. Usually, said glare is accompanied by a furrowed brow, as expertly done by "Saturday Night Live's" Kate McKinnon.
(No, seriously, you have to see it.)
6. Became Joe Cool: The more cynical probably assume that Bieber persistently wears sunglasses to hide evidence about his recreational activities. But we're going to assume he's constantly wearing shades because everywhere he goes is just particularly bright.
7. Fought with paparazzi: If you don't get into a fight with a photographer, are you really a celebrity? Bieber's breaking moment came in March 2013 when, after having a bad 19th birthday and frustrating week of performances in London, he threatened paparazzi haranguing him.
8. Lives fast: Bieber may love cars, but he has a horrendous driving record. He was involved in a high-speed chase with paparazzi in July 2012; was cited for making an unsafe left turn and having an expired registration in November 2012; and drove fast enough through his Calabasas, California, neighborhood in 2013 that his neighbors called the cops -- twice. And then, in January 2014, he was arrested and charged with drunken driving, resisting arrest and driving without a valid license.
9. Fell in love: Justin Bieber's on-again, off-again relationship with Selena Gomez lasted about three years, but more importantly, the romance helped to show that Bieber was capable of wooing a star of Gomez's caliber (and a slightly older one, at that).
10. Got arrested. Twice. In one week: In case anyone, anywhere missed the memo about Bieber being music's newest bad boy, the star got himself arrested twice in one week. He was arrested in Miami on January 23, 2014, on a DUI charge, and again in Toronto on January 29 for an alleged assault charge. Not to mention he was also dealing with California officials who are investigating
a potential vandalism charge for an alleged egging.
11. Embraced risky fashion: It's pretty impossible to be on the cover of a teenybopper magazine like Tiger Beat when you're wearing a gas mask, which we assume is the point when Bieber elects to wear increasingly outrageous outfits and accessories. Lady Gaga, watch your back.
12. Ditched his belts: To shed teen stardom you usually have to go full Britney or Miley and embrace nudity. Bieber's pulled that off in two ways: First, he cultivated a dysfunctional relationship with belts, as seen here in 2012 ...
13. Stopped wearing shirts: And then, he started walking around topless, like when he was in London for his 19th birthday in 2013.
14. Started sampling the nightlife: According to the rumor mill,
Justin Bieber enjoys strippers, and
he's a very, very big tipper. Whether he actually visits strip clubs or not -- and he wasn't here; this picture was taken outside of Miami's Mansion night club -- isn't really the point. As in the case of Mariah Yeater, the woman who made the Bieber-daddy claim, just the insinuation that he's a fan of "adult entertainment" is enough to distance himself from his teen star reputation.
16. Created a personal "frat house": According to a detective with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, Bieber crafted a "frat house" among the multimillion-dollar mansions in Calabasas, California. There were ping-pong and pool tables, a Ms. Pac-Man video game and a basketball free-throw machine, plus a skateboard ramp covered with spray-painted graffiti in the back. He's since sold the home to Khloe Kardashian.
17. Developed a selfie obsession: Biebs broke out with YouTube videos of his performances, so his predilection for taking his own photos (constantly) is a natural evolution.
18. Made famous friends: Bieber came into this business with one known famous friend (Usher). Now look how many he has! In Atlanta in 2014, he partied with the likes of Sean "P. Diddy" Combs, Rick Ross and Wale.
19. Released a "sexy" music video: Remember the 2010 music video for
Bieber's "Baby," when the closest he came to touching a girl was gallantly grabbing her hand? "All That Matters," released in the fall of 2013, was just suggestive enough to show that Bieber's interests are now more grown-up but not so illicit that it would be totally inappropriate for a still young fanbase.
20. Works hard at growing a mustache: Through the years, Justin Bieber has been nothing if not determined. His songs have gotten stronger, his escapades have gotten wilder, and his fame has only gotten bigger. We're pretty confident he'll pull through these growing pains and be able to transition to greater maturity. And when he does, his facial hair will tell the story.
21. Attends his friends' fashion shows: Count Bieber among the many style-conscious celebs making appearances at runway shows during New York Fashion Week. In 2015, he attended the debut of buddy Kanye West's collaboration with Adidas Originals, Yeezy Season 1.
22. Won his first Grammy: While his music career has been huge, it wasn't until 2016 that Bieber won a Grammy thanks to his collaboration with Diplo and Skrillex. Their "Where Are U Now" single took home the tropy for best dance recording,
25. Opening up: The Biebers
sat down with Vogue for a rare interview published in February 2019. In it, he shared some revelations about drug abuse, celibacy and how marriage is "really effing hard."