Justin Bieber
Highs: Justin Bieber, the YouTube star turned teen-pop sensation, has entire Twitter servers at his disposal. At just 16, the certified Prince of Pop uses up to 3% of Twitter's server infrastructure at any given time, and with an army of some six million Twitter followers to his credit, he's something of an online blockbuster. Aside from throes of fervent females, Bieber's year also boasts a myriad of accolades. Part two of his debut album, My World 2.0, reached double platinum status in just over six months, garnering two nominations for the approaching Grammy Awards, while a new book — Justin Bieber: First Step 2 Forever: My Story — became a New York Times Bestsellers list fixture, currently enjoying its eighth week on the list.
Lows: Though the teen heartthrob earned his status as something of a PG sex symbol with his boyish good looks (and those trademark locks), nature doesn't seem to care about "Bieber Fever." News broke in April that Bieber had entered puberty, rendering him unable to perform some songs in their original keys, and reminding us that his days as a teen star are numbered. And though he's managed to dodge the rehab stints of some of his teen counterparts, Bieber's reputation was briefly blemished in October, when he wound up on the wrong side of an assault investigation. The crime? Punching a 12-year-old after a game of laser tag in Canada, though reports indicate those charges have since been dropped.
—Allie Townsend