Justin Bieber is having a major comeback - how he went from getting arrested to back on top in one year

From the start, Justin Bieber was an icon.

The combination of his cool, mellow voice and youth made him perfect for teenage girls to love, and for everyone else to target with scorn. Once his single "One Time" went platinum in the US and his debut album "My World 2.0" hit the top of the charts, Bieber reached the top echelon of the music industry.

But Bieber was also immediately placed under an intense global telescope. As with many childhood stars, he made troubling missteps.

Now, however, his highly orchestrated comeback is working perfectly. At Bieber's lowest point last year, many thought his career would flame out. Now he's making the rounds laughing at his own missteps on talk shows, and you can hardly turn on the radio without hearing him sing - he has two top-five songs in rotation. And his long-awaited fourth studio album, "Purpose," out Friday, might even be bigger than his most recent, in 2012. It already ranks fifth on iTunes' album chart.

Keep scrolling for a look at how Bieber started, how he fell, and how he's getting back up.