Justin Bieber's Swag becomes one of his worst-rated albums; it's already crashing on streaming charts

Indian Express

4 days ago

Justin Bieber dropped his seventh studio album without any promotions, no press notes, not even a proper credit sheet for streaming platforms. The move sparked instant buzz, but it looks like it's backfired. The album shot to number one on Apple Music and Spotify, both US and global charts, within hours. The lead track, 'Daisies,' pulled a staggering 8.5 million streams on day one. But by July 14, the hype started to burn out. Critics and listeners didn't have much to say about it, although some appreciated Bieber for speaking out about his marriage and mental health struggles. 'Daisies' slipped to No. 5, and the rest of the album fell out of the Top 10.
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According to album review aggregator Album of the Year, Swag has pulled a critics' score of 55, making it Bieber's second-lowest rated album ever. Only 2020's Changes scored worse, at 54. The fan score's even lower, just 47. His best critics' rating remains My World 2.0 in 2010 with 66, followed by Believe in 2012. Even Justice in 2021 held up better with a score of 62. Critics say Swag tries to bring back the old 'R&Bieber' from the early 2010s but ends up sounding stuck, confused and looped, with barely any variation across tracks. In Justice, he tried to reinvent himself with vulnerability and genre-blending experiment, but here, that ambition's missing. The Guardian said there's no real personality in the lyrics. The Telegraph called it messy and awkward. For most critics, the album highlights Bieber's growing disconnect with what fans and the industry expect of him. Some loyal fans are still defending it, calling it 'classic Biebs.' Others say he's sliding backwards instead of pushing forward. But the one thing no one's debating, despite fighting Ramsay Hunt syndrome and dealing with a lot mentally, Bieber's vocals, as always, still sound magical.
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But despite the dip, Swag isn't a total flop. As per The Hollywood Reporter, the album is speculated to move between 150,000 to 175,000 album-equivalent units in its first week, the standard metric used to track overall sales. Since there were no physical copies this time, insiders say the digital debut alone is strong enough to land it at No. 1. For comparison, Justice, Bieber's sixth studio album, had moved 154,000 units during its debut week, including 30,000 in physical sales, and also opened at No. 1 on the Billboard chart. Fans are calling Swag raw and unfiltered, it's packed with voice notes, scratch recordings, even paparazzi clips where Bieber sings about being crushed under public pressure.
Songs like 'Go Baby' and 'Walking Away' speak directly to his wife Hailey, dismissing divorce rumours. He's a dad now, and the song 'Dadz Love' is dedicated to his newborn, Jack Blues Bieber. 'Therapy Session' and 'Standing On Business' touch on his frustrations with fame, trolls, and being misunderstood. Swag dropped just hours after Bieber officially cut ties, both professionally and financially, with his former manager Scooter Braun. The Peaches crooner reportedly paid Braun $26 million for the cancelled Justice world tour advance from 2022, plus another $5.5 million in unpaid commissions. Ahead of the release, TMZ confirmed the dues were cleared and the long-running work relationship was over. But despite everything, Braun still took to social media minutes after the album came out, calling Swag 'the most authentically Justin Bieber album to date.' He also made it clear, he had nothing to do with making it.