Is Justin Bieber's surprise new album any good?
Justin Bieber has had a roller coaster few years since the release of his last album, 2021's Justice.
The pandemic, followed by the diagnosis of a rare facial paralysis disease called Type 2 Ramsay Hunt syndrome, delayed Bieber's planned tour by nearly two years. When the tour finally went ahead in 2022, it was cut short months early, with Bieber citing exhaustion and the need to focus on his health after a performance in Brazil.
Rumours swirled of relationship issues with his wife Hailey, even after the birth of their first child Jack last August, he split acrimoniously from his long-term manager Scooter Braun in 2023, losing a lot of money in the process, and Bieber's frequently gaunt public appearances and erratic behaviour led many to suspect his substance abuse issues had returned.
But the surprise drop of album number seven on Friday is a defiant middle finger to those who suggested the 31-year-old might have lost his way. Now self-managed, he's made his most consistent-sounding and authentically personal record yet.
Tapping into the kind of alt-R&B produced by SWAG collaborators Mk.gee and Dijon (who took their cues from Miguel and Jai Paul), it's a mellow, eminently listenable declaration of husbandly devotion (emotional and frequently physical) and convincing argument that he's doing much better than some pundits would have you believe.
Sexual release as therapy is an oft-visited theme, as on the tone-setting opener All I Can Take; Daisies – 'the way you got me all in my head/think I'd rather you in my bed,' he sings over resonant bass guitar – Yukon, and many more tracks besides. But Bieber has always been a lover boy, and his ostensibly sincere affection for his wife is laid as bare as his lust. 'And every timе you don't say my name/I'm reminded how I lovе when you say it,' he sings on the sublime Walking Away. Over guitar chords that invoke Bon Iver, he affirms his dedication to his marriage despite its challenges.
While Hailey's the indisputable main character on SWAG, Dadz Love (which cleverly doubles as 'that's love') is an optimistic ode to the purity of parental love, hitched to a lo-fi house beat. Bieber also expresses his frustration with the unwelcome media attention he's endured of late, including a snippet from an altercation with paparazzi that appears on Butterflies – 'money, that's all you want, you don't care about human beings!' he seethes, and a discussion with comedian Druski on Therapy Session in which Bieber muses on the weight of constant speculation about his wellbeing. 'It starts to make me feel like I'm the one with issues and everyone else is perfect,' he admits.
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The Age
13 hours ago
- The Age
Is Justin Bieber's surprise new album any good?
Justin Bieber, SWAG Justin Bieber has had a roller coaster few years since the release of his last album, 2021's Justice. The pandemic, followed by the diagnosis of a rare facial paralysis disease called Type 2 Ramsay Hunt syndrome, delayed Bieber's planned tour by nearly two years. When the tour finally went ahead in 2022, it was cut short months early, with Bieber citing exhaustion and the need to focus on his health after a performance in Brazil. Rumours swirled of relationship issues with his wife Hailey, even after the birth of their first child Jack last August, he split acrimoniously from his long-term manager Scooter Braun in 2023, losing a lot of money in the process, and Bieber's frequently gaunt public appearances and erratic behaviour led many to suspect his substance abuse issues had returned. But the surprise drop of album number seven on Friday is a defiant middle finger to those who suggested the 31-year-old might have lost his way. Now self-managed, he's made his most consistent-sounding and authentically personal record yet. Tapping into the kind of alt-R&B produced by SWAG collaborators and Dijon (who took their cues from Miguel and Jai Paul), it's a mellow, eminently listenable declaration of husbandly devotion (emotional and frequently physical) and convincing argument that he's doing much better than some pundits would have you believe. Sexual release as therapy is an oft-visited theme, as on the tone-setting opener All I Can Take; Daisies – 'the way you got me all in my head/think I'd rather you in my bed,' he sings over resonant bass guitar – Yukon, and many more tracks besides. But Bieber has always been a lover boy, and his ostensibly sincere affection for his wife is laid as bare as his lust. 'And every timе you don't say my name/I'm reminded how I lovе when you say it,' he sings on the sublime Walking Away. Over guitar chords that invoke Bon Iver, he affirms his dedication to his marriage despite its challenges. While Hailey's the indisputable main character on SWAG, Dadz Love (which cleverly doubles as 'that's love') is an optimistic ode to the purity of parental love, hitched to a lo-fi house beat. Bieber also expresses his frustration with the unwelcome media attention he's endured of late, including a snippet from an altercation with paparazzi that appears on Butterflies – 'money, that's all you want, you don't care about human beings!' he seethes, and a discussion with comedian Druski on Therapy Session in which Bieber muses on the weight of constant speculation about his wellbeing. 'It starts to make me feel like I'm the one with issues and everyone else is perfect,' he admits.
Sydney Morning Herald
13 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Is Justin Bieber's surprise new album any good?
Justin Bieber, SWAG Justin Bieber has had a roller coaster few years since the release of his last album, 2021's Justice. The pandemic, followed by the diagnosis of a rare facial paralysis disease called Type 2 Ramsay Hunt syndrome, delayed Bieber's planned tour by nearly two years. When the tour finally went ahead in 2022, it was cut short months early, with Bieber citing exhaustion and the need to focus on his health after a performance in Brazil. Rumours swirled of relationship issues with his wife Hailey, even after the birth of their first child Jack last August, he split acrimoniously from his long-term manager Scooter Braun in 2023, losing a lot of money in the process, and Bieber's frequently gaunt public appearances and erratic behaviour led many to suspect his substance abuse issues had returned. But the surprise drop of album number seven on Friday is a defiant middle finger to those who suggested the 31-year-old might have lost his way. Now self-managed, he's made his most consistent-sounding and authentically personal record yet. Tapping into the kind of alt-R&B produced by SWAG collaborators and Dijon (who took their cues from Miguel and Jai Paul), it's a mellow, eminently listenable declaration of husbandly devotion (emotional and frequently physical) and convincing argument that he's doing much better than some pundits would have you believe. Sexual release as therapy is an oft-visited theme, as on the tone-setting opener All I Can Take; Daisies – 'the way you got me all in my head/think I'd rather you in my bed,' he sings over resonant bass guitar – Yukon, and many more tracks besides. But Bieber has always been a lover boy, and his ostensibly sincere affection for his wife is laid as bare as his lust. 'And every timе you don't say my name/I'm reminded how I lovе when you say it,' he sings on the sublime Walking Away. Over guitar chords that invoke Bon Iver, he affirms his dedication to his marriage despite its challenges. While Hailey's the indisputable main character on SWAG, Dadz Love (which cleverly doubles as 'that's love') is an optimistic ode to the purity of parental love, hitched to a lo-fi house beat. Bieber also expresses his frustration with the unwelcome media attention he's endured of late, including a snippet from an altercation with paparazzi that appears on Butterflies – 'money, that's all you want, you don't care about human beings!' he seethes, and a discussion with comedian Druski on Therapy Session in which Bieber muses on the weight of constant speculation about his wellbeing. 'It starts to make me feel like I'm the one with issues and everyone else is perfect,' he admits.
Courier-Mail
a day ago
- Courier-Mail
Fans get insight into the Biebers' marriage with new album, Swag
Don't miss out on the headlines from Lifestyle. Followed categories will be added to My News. After a never-ending flood of divorce rumours, Justin Bieber has set the record straight on the state of his marriage with his new album, Swag. After watching the world scream out for his wife to leave him, Justin Bieber is getting candid about the reality of marriage on the surprise release energising every '09 belieber – Swag. The 21-track album dropped on Friday, and you don't need multiple replays and a deep lyric analysis to figure out that the 31-year-old isn't letting the never-ending relationship scrutiny sway his fight for his marriage. Bieber's no stranger to the public criticising his relationships. Since his teen relationship with Selena Gomez, the man has never known peace in a partnership. Every comment section is filled with questions, theories and opinions on his marriage, paparazzi are shouting the same lines at him, no matter his state, and every exchange between him and his wife, Rhode Skin founder, Hailey, is analysed and picked apart. Rumours have been loudly swirling online for months, with articles predicting an ever-impending divorce, despite no suggestion from either party. Swag songs about the Biebers' marriage issues The singer seemingly addressed the pair's relationship struggles on the second track, Daisies, singing: The singer seemingly addressed the pair's relationship struggles on the second track, Daisies. Image: Getty You said 'Forever,' babe, did you mean it, or not? Hold on, hold on You leave me on read, babe, but I still get the message Instead of a line, it's three dots, but I can connect them And if it ain't right, babe, you know I respect it But if you need time, just take your time Honey, I get it, I get it, I get it Despite encouraging every other couple in the world to try to work through their issues, and pushing some (who probably shouldn't) to try to find a way through their teething problems, the world really expects celebrities to announce their split after their first disagreement. We share the wedding photos and pregnancy announcements on our stories, but get a little too impassioned about the prospect of a divorce announcement soon after. Providing refreshingly open insight into stars' marriages under the microscope of fame, Bieber then sings about the pair's 'growing pains' and effort to put time into working through their issues in Walking Away, singing: And, girl, we better stop before we say some sh*t We've been testin' our patience I think we better off if we just take a break And remember what grace is Before changing his tune and letting us all know how committed he is with: Baby, l ain't walkin' away You were my diamond, gave you a ring I made you a promise, l told you l'd change It's just human nature, these growin' pains Recovering from that Vogue cover debacle We all remember the trashfire that was Bieber publicising that bizarre insults he delivered to Hailey. In a since-deleted caption under Hailey's Vogue cover announcement, the singer wrote, 'Yo this reminds me when Hailey and I got into a huge fight. I told hails that she would never be on the cover of vogue. Yikes I know, so mean.' 'For some reason because I felt so disrespected. I thought I gotta get even. I think as we mature we realize that we're not helping anything by getting even. we're honestly just prolonging what we really want which is intimacy and connection. So baby u already know but forgive me for saying u wouldn't get a vogue cover cuz clearly i was sadly mistaken." Pitchfork-holding users quickly swarmed comment sections, calling him an unsupportive husband. He's let us all know just how supportive he is, with the new song Go Baby, singing: "That's my baby, she's iconic, iPhone case, lip gloss on it / And, oh my days, she keeps 'em talkin', it's comedy, just block it, oh, my baby." The rest of the song is basically just Bieber telling his wife he'll always be there to comfort her when things get rough. According to People, the Biebers are really proving their concerned fans and trolls wrong, celebrating the album over the weekend. A source told the publication, "Hailey was by Justin's side for the whole creation of the album', and 'supported Justin to follow his artistic instincts". "She helped him to trust himself and do what Justin knew he wanted to do as an artist" while he worked on the first solo album he's put out since becoming a dad. Surely fans can't ask for any more to be said about the Biebers' marriage after being gifted multiple raw and deeply personal songs on the state of their relationship, not to mention some hot family photos to promote the album. Originally published as Fans get insight into the Biebers' marriage with new album, Swag
