How I became a Belieber (and you haters did, too)

The time has come to give Justin Bieber some respect.

Boy, I never thought I'd write that statement. You readers probably think I should turn in my rock-critic card.

R-E-S-P-E-C-T is what Biebs deserves because his latest album, "Purpose," is a major step forward, an appealing combination of smoky-voiced pop-soul crossed with dance-music beats. At 22, he has made the transition from twerpy teen idol to tattooed adult pop star.

I'm not the only critic to praise "Purpose." Entertainment Weekly gave it a B-plus, and those nitpicky hipsters at Pitchfork even gave it props.

When Bieb's hits "Sorry" and "Love Yourself" come on the radio, I pay attention. Who knew that Usher's protégé with the boyish voice and baby face could possibly be the real deal and not just some poseur?

Yet, nothing ever seems easy with Justin Bieber. Nearly every time you mention his name nowadays, you must start the second half of the sentence with "but" and then say something unflattering about Canada's biggest pop star. That's because for every two steps he takes forward, he seems to take one giant step back.

For every "Purpose," "Sorry" and "Where Are U Now," there is Biebs messing up. He jumps on Instagram to say no more autographs, disses Prince after he dies and gets into a fight with a 6-foot-5 man outside an NBA Finals game. (Read: The 10 worst Bieber boo-boos)

Then Biebs sticks his proverbial foot (sporting some $1,500 sneaker) into his mouth. Backstage at the Billboard Awards, he dissed "fake celebrities" and the whole motivation of appearing on award shows. On Instagram, he called himself a douche for setting boundaries with fans.

He makes it hard to be a Belieber.

I wondered if the true Beliebers felt the same way. So I found one who's followed him since Day 1. Greta Guldseth, 20, a hairstylist from Apple Valley, has been a fan since he started posting homemade videos on YouTube in 2007.

"He's a real genuine guy," she said. "It's humbling to know that. He's not afraid to admit his faults. I like how sweet he is with kids."

Guldseth knows that many fans have turned their backs on Biebs as they aged (and he continued to mess up).

Guldseth has taken her share of razzing about Bieber. "My boyfriend sometimes makes fun of me for it," she said. "I think men have a hard time watching girls watch Justin Bieber. There might be a little bit of jealousy."

At least Guldseth converted her older sister.

"She started out not liking him, but she heard the new album, and now my sister is a big fan," Guldseth said.

Justin Bieber a normal guy? Sorry, Greta, that might be hard to believe.

So I asked someone who knows him. Well, at least interviewed him. Caity Weaver, 27, a staff writer for GQ, spent about five hours with the Biebs over two days to pen a recent cover story.

Playing the spirituality card was not part of the rebranding of Bieber. He had experienced a year-and-a-half run that could've been featured on a nightly TMZ show called "Biebs Gone Bad," in which he, among other boo-boos, egged his neighbor's house and tried to smuggle his pet monkey into Germany.

In 2015, the bad boy sought redemption. He apologized on "Ellen," subjected himself to a roast on Comedy Central and doubled over crying at the end of his performance on MTV's Video Music Awards.

Then he dropped "Purpose," an album filled with apologies.

Fans ate it up to the tune of 1.7 million copies sold so far in the United States.

"You know I try, but I don't do too well with apologies," the new Biebs croons at the start of the arresting ballad "Sorry." "I hope I don't run out of time; could someone call the referee? 'Cause I just need one more shot at forgiveness."

But — there's that but again — we sure like to see celeb train wrecks, don't we? That's why we look at the headlines while in line at the grocery store. That's why we sneak a peek at TMZ. That's why you're snickering right now.

Since "Purpose" was released and Bieber hit the road on his 58-concert world tour this spring, he has had his share of missteps. Did you hear he wanted to buy a lion as a pet? Did you see photos of him walking shoeless in a Boston park?

And, of course, you heard about his Instagram post saying he'll no longer take photos with fans backstage even though some paid $2,000 for the opportunity.

"I want to keep my sanity," he wrote. "I realize people will be disappointed, but I don't owe anybody a picture."

Just maybe an apology.