Non-Beliebers: Skeptics question Justin Bieber's humble new image

After a years-long absence from the MTV Video Music Awards, Canadian singer Justin Bieberclosed the first live performance of his new singlebywiping tears from his eyes.

About a week later, What Do You Mean?made itsdebut at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart.

• HowBiebercould clean up his act
• Bad boy antics could help boost image, experts say

Bieber seems toberefocusingon his music career, and the performance and hit debut have been hailed a comeback for the embattled Canadiansinger, whose legal woes have been centrestage for the past few years.

But, despite a months-long redemption tour of managedmedia appearances, Bieber still hassome crying foul about his new, humble image.

'The secret' is music

What Do You Mean? is Bieber's first No. 1 Billboard single.Previously, he'd come closestwithwhenBoyfriendfell short by one spot in April 2012.

I've done some things that may not have been the greatest.- Justin Bieber, on

Back then, theformer YouTube sensation still had a squeaky clean image, and he expertly side-stepped his only potential scandalwhen a fan alleged he was the father of her child.

Soon after, though,Bieber started racking up a long rap sheet.

It startedas childish antics. Bieberwalked through an airport shirtless, urinated in a bucket in a nightclub kitchen, and appeared to spit on fans from a balcony.

Hisquestionablebehaviour soon escalated toalleged driving under the influenceand assault, as well as a misdemeanorvandalism conviction.

Biebermade headlinesfor "everything but his music," says Howard Bragman, chairman of Fifteen Minutes Public Relations.

Back then, Bragmanpredicted that if Bieber's self-destructive behaviour continuedhe'dsoon be playing state fairs instead of selling out Madison Square Garden.

Now, it seems, Bieber's focus has shifted frombad-boy anticsback to music. As he gears up for the release of his new album, rumoured formid-November, headlines about his legal woes have slowed, save for the starpleading guilty to assault chargesthis past summer.

"That's the secret," according toBragman. A tarnished reputation can be overcome in two steps, he says: Aperiod of media silence while the star is on their best behaviour, and then a focus on the release of new music.

Britney Spears is the poster child forthis strategy, following her downward spiral in 2007-08 that included the former Mousketeerbeing placed under a psychiatric hold.

She then mostly fell out of the public eye for her erratic behaviour and focused on her career. In late 2013, Spears started a four-year gig headlining a show in Las Vegas.

"I think (Bieber)is growing up and understanding that this is what he needs to do if he wants to continue to make music," Bragman says.

Many of Bieber's devout 'Beliebers' his Twitter account is the second most followed in the world, with 67.9 million fans have stuck by the embattled celebrity and taken his Video MusicAwards moment as proof the starlet had outgrown his bad-boy phase.

'Softer' TV appearances rehabilitate image

The pop star's image redemption started months agowith a string ofcuratedmedia appearances.

Bieber surprised Ellen Degenereson her daytime TV show for her birthday in January. He admitted he was nervous, having shied away from TV appearances for awhile.

• The life and times ofBieber
• Bieberlaunches new single What Do You Mean

"I've done some things that may not have been the greatest,"Biebersaid at the time. He said he wanted to "just own up" to some of his past.

That evening, Bieber uploaded a public apology. In the video, he explainshe was nervous on the showbecause he "didn't want to come off arrogant, or conceited or basically how I've been acting" over the past year and a half.

The seemingly newly humble celebrity went on toendurea Comedy Central roast, where other entertainerspoked fun at the star, and reappeared on Degeneres's show several times, mostly to surprise fans or play pranks.

'Out of control' clients make redemption hard

These "softer" and "more fun" appearances helpBieber'simage, saysRonnTorossian, president and CEO of public relations agency5wpr, who has representedcelebrities including Pamela Anderson, Hulk Hogan and Nick Cannon.

But not everyone's buying into Bieber 2.0.

"Would anybody be shocked if Justin Bieber was to be arrested for a DUI? Would anybody be shocked if Justin Bieber was to be arrested for something, you know, stupid?" asks Torossian, who says the star is still not able to stay completely out of trouble.

In a recent Snapchat video, Bieberinstructed fans on the proper etiquette for asking him for a photo."The way that you ask orapproach me when you want a photo with me is gonna determine if I take a photo or not," he said.

Some criticized the video, although others, like Bragman, insist that it didn't qualify as bratty.

Bieberalso made some contentious statements in aComplex magazine interviewintended to shed light on his new adult outlook on life.At one point, he appears to insult other musicians.

"I'll hear songs on the radio, and I'm not really a fan of what's going on right now in music. I'll hear it and go, 'Ugh, why is this being played so much right now?'" the singer said. "I have such great music that I want to share with the world."

The comments did not impressTorossian.

"With his behaviour, he just has to be more humble," he says.

From apublic relationsprofessional's point of view, he'd like to see the pop star's image softened even more by securing him a mature girlfriend (neither of the younger Jenner sisters make the cut), arranging a few Sunday brunches with his mother and hiring security that protects him rather than allegedly fighting others on his behalf.

But, even with the best PR team in the world, Torossian says it's not always possible to revamp a celebrity's tarnished reputation without their buy-in.

"If your client is out of control, it's very hard ... to help that person."

It would seemBieber still has some work ahead of him to make Beliebers out of the skeptics.