Guilty Pleasures: 2012-2014 Austin Mahone

Austin Mahone: You may know him as the Justin Bieber wannabe who got his start on Youtube, or as that one guy who was almost never seen without a backwards snapback or beanie.

But did I ever consider myself a #Mahomie? Maybe. Does his music still grace several of my Spotify playlists? Perhaps. Did I go to one of his concerts as a sophomore in high school and scream louder than all of the middle schoolers around me combined? Most definitely (I was in the seventh row).

Before you accuse me of being yet another crazed fangirl who will follow any baby-faced boy with swept hair, hear me out. It’s more than a superficial, physical attraction. In fact, I have a particularly interesting relationship with Austin Mahone because I am well aware of his oddities thanks to years of defending his music (and yes, I know it’s aimed at preteens).

With exaggerated dance moves and an odd assortment of gold chains, he may seem like an easy subject to roast. But is there not something endearing about the fact that he doesn’t quite realize that matching his beanie, tank top, and high tops isn’t cool, or that his snapback is a bit too big for his head? His coveted metallic jacket and generous use of flashing background lights add to his cheese factor, but they’re all part of his innocent and eager quest for love. His songs are also undeniably catchy. Repetitive, yes, but all the better excuse to know all the lyrics. Mainstream pop culture may have called his electronic beats “basic,” but they are sweetly reminiscent of early 2000s music.

But why the need to specify 2012-2014 Austin Mahone, you ask? Compare his songs from what I’d consider to be his prime—“Say Somethin’,” “What About Love,” “Say You’re Just a Friend,” and “Mmm Yeah,” to name a few—with his more recent releases. Songs like, “Dirty Work,” “Send It,” and “Put it on Me” pair with music videos that only affirm what the risque titles suggest. Lust and overconfidence have replaced innocence and novelty, and I can’t help but wonder what exactly went awry. Sometimes I feel a hopeful wave of nostalgia at the sight of his oversized snapback (albeit atop a now permed hairstyle), but it’s becoming more and more clear that channeling his inner R&B persona has taken priority. He has gone from an innocently zealous believer in love to, well, what we now see daily in pop culture.

Maybe his changed perspective on love was inevitable, and we should all accept the matured Austin. But to me, he will remain the boy unscathed by lecherous desires, and 2012-2014 Austin Mahone will always have my heart.