Latest news with #EddieBenjamin
Daily Mail
12-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Eddie Benjamin posts heartfelt tribute to his 'soulmate' Justin Bieber as the young Aussie admits making half of new album Swag: 'My love is so deep'
Australian singer Eddie Benjamin has confirmed his high level of involvement in the creation of Justin Bieber 's new album Swag, which the hitmaker dropped without warning on Thursday night. The Sydney-born singer, 23, thanked his 'best friend' in a heartfelt post made to Instagram, in which he cites his involvement in 11 out of the 21 songs. 'Made a album with my bestie. My love for this being is so deep,' Eddie said as he shared several recent paparazzi photos of the pair together in a carousel of behind-the-scenes footage from the making of Swag. The post comes one month afte r Eddie and Justin documented their mountain getaway with a group of a male friends to make the album. This would seem to confirm the new album was only made in June, with Bieber, 31, delivering the audio so late that none of the writers are named or credited. Instead of following the usual practice, global streamers were not informed of vital information regarding the album in advance, with sources revealing that it was delivered 'late' and 'chaotically' to working partners. All streaming platforms including Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube, are yet to have the all-important credits which explain who has worked on each song. 'Justin delivered the audio for his new album really late, as in only a few hours before it came out, hence why there are no credits on the songs and so far, no one knows who did what,' an inside source said. 'This isn't the normal process when releasing a new album, everything was delivered so late to partners and many within the industry feel it has been randomly rushed out.' 'So grateful to lean on you as a friend,' Eddie continued in his post. 'The fact we get to make music is a cherry on top. You teach me so much and are a true friend. 'This experience has been my favourite musical experience I've had making some soulmates along the way way. The swag is beyond real. Always has been Swag.' Eddie, who has written and produced songs for Bieber as well as Meghan Trainor, Shawn Mendes, and Earth, Wind & Fire, then listed 11 tracks from Swag. Eddie, who has written and produced songs for Bieber as well as Meghan Trainor, Shawn Mendes, and Earth, Wind & Fire, then listed 11 out of 21 tracks on Swag as he said: 'Made an album with my bestie' Instead of following the usual practice, global streamers were not informed of vital information regarding the album, with sources revealing that it was delivered 'late' and 'chaotically' 'Swag ft me [and] Cash Kobain,' he concluded the post. On his Stories, Eddie shared a screenshot of the track Swag with his name in the vocal credits. 'Love singing with you my brother,' he added. He also shared a clip of the song Yukon, which a friend had posted with the caption: 'The Eddie Benjamin effect.' Swag marks Bieber's follow-up to 2021's Justice, which spawned hits like Hold On, Peaches, and Lonely, and led to a world tour that was cut short in 2022 after Bieber announced he was stepping back to prioritise his health. Since then, the singer has made headlines for everything but music — welcoming his first child, Jack Blues Bieber, with wife Hailey in August 2024, while also facing mounting speculation over his mental health, cryptic online behaviour, and rumoured tensions in his marriage. And while fans were eager for new material, early reviews suggest Bieber's time away didn't lead to a triumphant return—with one critic even calling the album 'a cry for help.' However, we won't have to wait another three years for Justin's next album, as it's believed he could be releasing a second body of work within the next two weeks. Eddie has increasingly been spotted out in public with Justin in recent months, including giving him a cuddle as they left the Golden Globes after-party at Chateau Marmont together in January. Hailey, his wife, did not attend the event. Eddie was previously in a relationship with American actress and dancer Maddie Ziegler between 2020 and 2023 and he has also been romantically linked to Willow Smith As a teenager, Eddie performed at jazz clubs around Bondi, as one third of a Blues trio he formed with two classmates from Rose Bay Secondary. In 2023, he was named Breakthrough Musician of the Year by GQ Australia and was spotted leaving the awards show arm-in-arm with another A-list collaborator, Willow Smith. 'I had a pretty cute time working with him,' Willow said. The pair were then seen publicly displaying affection on Bronte Beach. Eddie was previously in a relationship with American actress and dancer Maddie Ziegler between 2020 and 2023.
Yahoo
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
5 Takeaways From Justin Bieber's New Album SWAG
Graphic by Chris Panicker, photo by XNY/Star Max/GC Images It's 2025, and the buzziest underground rap stars are rocking #BEENTRILL snapbacks while unironically penning Tumblr love stories. A Playboi Carti song built around a sample of Rich Kidz's 'Bend Over' spent two weeks on the Billboard Hot 100. And, on Thursday afternoon, Justin Bieber announced that his 7th studio album, succinctly titled SWAG, would be released at midnight. Is it safe to declare it a kushandlyrikz summer? Bieber seems to have been preparing for one, spending the past few months hitting the studio with Lil B, sparking up to classic Clams Casino beats, and hopping on Instagram Live to preview raw, improvisational snippets over minimalist beats that wouldn't be out of place on a MySpace-era Soulja Boy mixtape. Though recording sessions for SWAG reportedly concluded in April, it's not unlikely that its sudden release was influenced by the cultural ubiquity of his awkward and appropriative, yet admittedly iconic catchphrase, 'It's not clocking to you that I'm standing on business,' levied at paparazzi in mid-June. Best to unlock the swag while the iron's hot. Despite its title, however, SWAG is free of any sounds even vaguely reminiscent of the ringtone era. Instead, he's enlisted producers Eddie Benjamin and Carter Lang to provide much of the record's '80s-inspired, reverb-laden backing, tapping and Dijon to lend some experimental edge. Compared to Bieber's previous outings, there's a distinct emphasis on organic textures and acoustic guitar, aiming for raw intimacy and stadium, or maybe megachurch-sized hooks at the same time. Here are five takeaways from the album. SWAG's production is often cavernous, though not quite in the polished, neon-lit vein of a Weeknd album. Instead, there's a focus on dusty timbres, blown-out drums, and live instrumentation, all echoing into infinity. fingerprints are felt throughout, even when he's not explicitly credited as a track's producer, with technically intricate guitar lines weaving through the mix. 'First Place' pairs compressed, distorted drum programming with synth leads that would sound at home in an abandoned shopping mall food court, while 'Daisies' leans fully into guitar-heavy blue-eyed soul. 'Go Baby' occasionally resembles contemporary Bon Iver records with its watery keys and dreamy vocal stacks, which isn't a huge surprise given their shared collaborator in Dijon. Even SWAG's marquee collaborations with rappers are subject to the moody, spacious sound palette, to strange and inventive effect. On 'Way It Is,' Gunna waxes romantic about designer shopping sprees over Vangelis-esque pads, and there's a definite charm to hearing Sexyy Red's freaked-out verse echo into an expanse of cinematic synth work. A late-album team-up with Cash Cobain borders on chillwave with its clattering snare rolls and washed-out arpeggios. And is Eddie Benjamin doing a baby-voiced Carti impression on that same track? Aesthetically aligned with Bieber's tendency to embark on lengthy Instagram vagueposting sprees full of camera roll dumps and grainy snapshots, SWAG aims for a semblance of rawness and digital authenticity. The bluesy jam session 'Glory Voice Memo' and the acoustic number 'Zuma House' are unfinished demos that seem to be uploaded straight from a phone, while the buzzy strumming and chipmunked lead vocal take on 'Yukon' conjure the post-digital grit of early Alex G or XXXTentacion in campfire song mode. Bieber's newfound friendship with cloud rap elder statesman and Based luminary Lil B yielded SWAG's most eccentric (albeit swaggiest) track, 'Dadz Love,' a downtempo interlude backed by a muffled breakbeat and a single, looped chord. It's a fascinating exercise in minimalism: Bieber riffs on the same winkingly ambiguous phrase, which is either 'that's love,' 'dad's love,' or both, while Lil B engages in spoken-word proselytization, petitioning for unity and love as his voice warps and ricochets in the stereo field, Black Ark style. Comedian Druski makes not one, not two, but three separate appearances on skits throughout SWAG, playing the role of Bieber's therapist and/or confidant. Here are their three most absurd lines of dialogue: Druski: 'Your skin white, but your soul black, Justin, I promise you, man.' Bieber: 'Thank you.' ('Soulful') Druski: 'That's why I said I'll be your counselor. You start smoking these Black & Milds with me, you'll feel way better.' ('Therapy Session') Druski: 'You can't pronunciate every word when you're doin' that. 'I'm standin' on bih'ness…You say 'I'm standing on business,' that guy'll never leave.' Bieber: 'You're right, you're right.' ('Standing on Business') Originally Appeared on Pitchfork
Hindustan Times
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Justin Bieber's Swag: First reviews and fan reactions — Is it a hit or miss?
Justin Bieber is officially back. Just a few hours after teasing fans with a cryptic post, he released Swag, his first full-length album in four years. Justin Bieber's album has 21 songs and features guest appearances from Gunna, Sexyy Red, Cash Cobain, Lil B, Eddie Benjamin, and more. (Invision) Fans on social media were quick to react on the new release on X (formerly known as Twitter). One of the users posted, 'Justin Bieber new 'Swag' album is smooth.' and the 'All I can take song' Has that michael jackson feel on it." Another wrote, "JUSTIN BIEBER COOKED GUYS." Someone else added, 'Justin going 21/21 on this album and there's more to come and i can't even imagine what he's going to continue to surprise everyone with. SWAG is so raw and beautiful in every way possible and i'm blown away by his vocals, the production, EVERYTHING!! JB is still him.' And one fan said, "Justin Bieber just dropped the SWAG album and it feels like MJ's soul is moonwalking through every beat. This isn't just music, it's a masterclass in vocals, rhythm, and legacy." Also Read: Justin Bieber's new album 'Swag' features wife Hailey and baby Jack: Report On Friday, July 11, the pop star released SWAG, his seventh studio album, through Def Jam. The release came one day after a source that his first project since 2021's Justice was coming soon, according to People. The 'SWAG' album has 21 songs The album has 21 songs and features guest appearances from Gunna, Sexyy Red, Cash Cobain, Lil B, Eddie Benjamin, and more. Some of the tracks are titled 'ALL I CAN TAKE,' 'STANDING ON BUSINESS,' and 'FORGIVENESS.' The album is now streaming on Spotify and Apple Music. Back in April, The Hollywood Reporter shared that Bieber had been working on music at his house in Los Angeles, holding jam sessions with DJ Tay James, his music director HARV, SZA collaborator Carter Lang, and Australian artist Eddie Benjamin. A source told on Thursday, July 10, that this album was meant to be 'darker, more vulnerable and less polished' than his past work. 'It's in no way depressing though,' the source said. They also mentioned that the music would go 'much deeper' and that fans should expect a 'genre shift.'
Daily Mail
03-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Justin Bieber sparks new interest in his close friendship with Eddie Benjamin as he shares photos of the 23-year-old Australian singer
Justin Bieber has sparked new interest in his close friendship with young Australian singer Eddie Benjamin. The Peaches hitmaker, 31, who recently put on a racy display with wife Hailey to celebrate her $1billion Rhode deal, is currently on on a mountain getaway with some male friends and has prominently featured Eddie, 23, in several of his recent posts. On Monday, Justin shared a carousel of photos which showed him singing into a microphone in a makeshift recording studio and enjoying a few games of golf and basketball with the Sydney musician. It comes after Justin shared a dozen happy snaps of the duo goofing around together last week, with the Canadian hitmaker grinning and holding up two middle fingers to the camera while Eddie grabbed onto his shirt. Eddie shared one of the photos to his own account, where he has 359,000 followers to Justin's 249million, and captioned it with a red love heart emoji. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. 'This friendship is strange,' one of the Maniac singer's fans commented, while another pointed out how inseparable the pair have become in recent months: 'Eddie must be his new best friend... these [two] are always together.' Justin's working holiday with the boys comes after the pair collaborated on Eddie's new song MANIAC. Justin released the song alongside an advert promoting his new SKYLRK fashion brand in April - sending fans into a frenzy. The video, set to the soundtrack of MANIAC, featured a cartoon version of Justin riding a scooter to an abandoned house, which he sets alight before leaving and locking lips with a cartoon of his wife Hailey. The pair then walk into a new building with their son Jack Blues in a stroller. Justin and Eddie reportedly met through mutual friends in 2020 and formed a close bond based on a mutual respect for one another's musical talents. Eddie has spoken about Justin as a close friend and confidant in several interviews, describing him as a go-to for emotional support in difficult times. In 2022, Eddie opened the Justice world tour for Bieber and also featured in its documentary. On Monday, Justin shared a carousel of photos which showed him singing into a microphone in a makeshift recording studio and enjoying a few games of golf and basketball with the Sydney musician More recently, he opened up about the experience of writing music with Justin on the Zach Sang podcast in May. 'I think birthing ideas with the people you're with is really important,' Eddie said. 'He has such a big heart and his ears are out of this world. Justin is a really loving special human and has a lot of space and patience for people around him, which is huge. 'In this specific instance, it's a very flow state room. Nothing much happens if you're thinking. Often my brain will be doing too much and he... Justin is one of the people that, since I was little, that tells me to stop and take a breath. 'There's a lack of trying [to make music] and it's beautiful. We talk about it all the time. You have to be comfortable enough to not play the right thing, not sing the perfect whatever. 'You don't want to be tense around your loved ones and if we're creating together, all the layers can come down.' The pop star has sparked concern for his well-being in recent months with a series of seemingly erratic public outings and social media posts, as well as admitting he's been struggling with his mental health amidst rumours about the state of his marriage. It comes after Justin shared a dozen happy snaps of the duo goofing around together last week, with the Canadian hitmaker grinning and holding up two middle fingers to the camera while Eddie grabbed onto his shirt He has increasingly been spotted out in public with Eddie, including giving him a cuddle as they left the Golden Globes after-party at Chateau Marmont together in January. Hailey, his wife, did not attend the event. As a teenager, Eddie performed at jazz clubs around Bondi, as one third of a Blues trio he formed with two classmates from Rose Bay Secondary. In 2023, he was named Breakthrough Musician of the Year by GQ Australia and was spotted leaving the awards show arm-in-arm with another A-list collaborator, Willow Smith. During his acceptance speech at Bondi Surf Pavilion, Eddie spoke about the 'full circle moment' of recording his first-ever song in the building when he was just 13. 'I had a pretty cute time working with him,' Willow said. The pair were then seen publicly displaying affection on Bronte Beach. Eddie was previously in a relationship with American actress and dancer Maddie Ziegler between 2020 and 2023.
Daily Mail
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Justin Bieber suffers embarrassing incident in public as troubled star grabs hold of his crotch
Justin Bieber suffered an embarrassing incident in public while holding up his distressed blue jeans during a visit to First Credit Bank in West Hollywood on Wednesday. The 31-year-old pop star - who disrespected his wife Hailey Baldwin Bieber on Tuesday - clearly forgot to put a belt on as he awkwardly grabbed at his crotch fabric. Justin was behind the wheel of a large white SUV, which he parked improperly during his errand on the Sunset Strip. While Bieber was away, a LADOT traffic officer on a bicycle issued him a parking ticket most likely for not feeding the one-hour meter. That same day, the two-time Grammy winner posted an Instagram snap of his buddies with the non-sensical caption: 'Peep the skyleezzies on Eddie's feet u lil puss.' From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new Showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop Justin was attempting to refer to musician Eddie Benjamin, who was sporting a bright blue pair of his not-yet-released, Yeezy-style SKYLRK shoes. There is still no official launch date for Bieber's athleisure clothing company replacing Drew House, for which he enlisted business partner Neima Khaila and 3D design consultant Finn Rush-Taylor. The guy pals then enjoyed some shirtless skateboarding on the half pipes built on the tennis court of his $25M Beverly Hills estate. The Canadian crooner - who boasts 607.6M social media followers - has been flooding the zone with post after post, many of which don't make a lot of sense. On Tuesday, Justin got into a lot of hot water for the shameful way he congratulated his 28-year-old wife on her first solo American Vogue cover - something he told her she'd never achieve as a model. '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,' Bieber wrote. '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 [you] already know but forgive me for saying [you] wouldn't get a Vogue cover cuz clearly I was sadly mistaken.' After a slew of outrage, the heavily-tattooed millennial deleted the offensive caption and replaced it with emojis including a man shrugging. Justin was behind the wheel of a large white SUV, which he parked improperly during his errand on the Sunset Strip That same day, the two-time Grammy winner posted an Instagram snap of his buddies with the non-sensical caption: 'Peep the skyleezzies on Eddie's feet u lil puss' Justin and Hailey welcomed their first child, nine-month-old son Jack Blues Bieber, on August 22 but that did nothing to stop the divorce rumors. 'You would think after having a child, people would maybe move on, chill out a little bit, but no,' the Rhode founder scoffed to the mag. 'So I guess these b****es are going to be mad.' The married couple of six years originally met backstage at the TODAY Show in 2009, they began dating in 2015, and they rekindled their on/off romance in 2018 three months after his split with Selena Gomez. 'As much as they are in love, there are plenty of times that they are at each other's throats,' a source told on Tuesday. 'Hailey has been mad at him plenty of times, and it will happen again and again. She comes around and forgives him. She will let him do what he needs to do and will accept his apology. 'The Justin we see now is the Justin that Hailey has seen all along, and she feels like she can always fix him. Good or bad, it is a never ending circle.' Bieber recently fired his manager Scooter Braun, 'swagger coach' Ryan Good, business manager Lou Taylor, bodyguards Keith Gibbs and Eric Johnson, as well as security guard Kenny Hamilton. Bieber wrote: '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' After a slew of outrage, the heavily-tattooed millennial deleted the offensive caption and replaced it with emojis including a man shrugging The former YouTube sensation was already suffering from depression before revealing he had come down with Ramsay Hunt syndrome in 2022, which made him focus more on his health than his career. Justin's most recent single - Moments - was featured on his former mentor Sean 'Diddy' Combs' fifth studio album The Love Album: Off the Grid in 2023. The 55-year-old disgraced music mogul is currently incarcerated at MDC Brooklyn's Special Housing Unit amid his federal criminal trial, but Bieber insisted he was not one of his victims. The born-again Christian's rep told Access Hollywood last Thursday: 'Although Justin is not among Sean Combs' victims, there are individuals who were genuinely harmed by him. Shifting focus away from this reality detracts from the justice these victims rightfully deserve.'
