Latest news with #Justice
Pink Villa
an hour ago
- Entertainment
- Pink Villa
Justin Bieber Wanted to Break Free From Scooter Braun for Long Time, Inside His First Truly Independent Album SWAG
Justin Bieber has no regrets about ending his long partnership with former manager Scooter Braun. The pop star is celebrating his 'creative freedom' with the release of his new album Swag, his first full-length project in four years. Justin Bieber dropped Swag on Friday, July 11, and a source told Rolling Stone on Saturday, July 12, that leaving Braun behind was a long time coming. "Breaking away from Scooter Braun and his team has been something that Justin has wanted for so long, and now that he's fully free, he could finally share this album with his fans and with the world," the insider said. Creative freedom for the first time According to the source, this is the first time in Bieber's career that he's had "100% creative freedom." They added, "Having full creative freedom, sadly, is something new for him as an artist. Not having to stress about creating the perfect single, or perfect album, allowed for him to create the best body of music he's ever made." The source shared that Bieber was finally able to be his true, authentic self in the studio. They stated that this is the purest version of Justin Bieber seen musically so far, adding that having complete creative freedom for the first time in his career made the music more honest and vulnerable. Braun still supports Bieber's new album Despite their business split in 2023 after more than 15 years together, Scooter Braun showed support for Bieber's latest work. In an Instagram stories post on July 12, Braun called Swag 'beautiful' and 'raw.' "Been having a beautiful start to the weekend and been getting a lot of texts about how I feel about Justin's new album…so I will just leave this here," Braun wrote. "This is, without a doubt, the most authentically Justin Bieber album to date. It's beautiful, raw, and truly him. And that matters." He added, "I've had the privilege of witnessing his growth for almost two decades. Along every journey, there comes a time when an artist fully steps into their own, and that's what he's done here. He poured his soul into this project, and you can feel it in every single run." Bieber and Braun's split didn't come without loose ends. Bieber recently reached a settlement over money he owed Braun from an advance for his canceled 2022 Justice tour. According to PEOPLE, Braun's company, HYBE, covered the USD 26 million Bieber owed to AEG Presents when the tour was canceled. Bieber has now agreed to pay Braun and HYBE back.
Muscat Daily
an hour ago
- Entertainment
- Muscat Daily
Justin Bieber returns with surprise album ‘SWAG'
Muscat – Four years after his last album Justice, pop sensation Justin Bieber has returned — not with a tour, but with a surprise album titled SWAG. And this time, it's personal. The 21-track album, dropped without warning, dives into the Canadian artist's life like never before — touching on fatherhood, mental health, and fame's quiet toll. While it may not be packed with summer anthems, SWAG hits hard with raw emotion and honest storytelling. One unexpected highlight is Standing on Business, a track that pivots away from the album's sombre tone thanks to comedian Druski's satirical take on Bieber's famously short-tempered beach encounter with paparazzi. It's already causing a stir on social media. Other tracks, like Therapy Session and Forgiveness, strike a different chord. The latter closes the album with gospel singer Marvin Winans delivering a powerful, soul-lifting finale that addresses themes of redemption and healing. Bieber, in his own words, says, 'I've had to go through a lot of my struggles as a human, as all of us do, really publicly. And so, people are always asking if I'm okay, and that starts to really weigh on me.' Fans were already concerned earlier this year after Bieber posted vulnerable messages online about feeling 'broken' and 'unworthy.' With SWAG, he turns that vulnerability into art, offering something of a sonic therapy session for himself and listeners alike. Gospel artist Winans, reflecting on his collaboration, wrote: 'Congratulations for making a wild and deeply inspiring record. Am grateful to have been a tiny part of a beautiful thing.' While hopes for a world tour remain high, any announcements are on pause as the artist continues to recover from Ramsay Hunt Syndrome, a condition that temporarily paralysed part of his face. For now, fans will have to settle for deep-listening sessions, headphones on and SWAG on repeat, waiting for the next move from the man who once sang Never Say Never.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
'Absurdity' of A-G's opposition must be terminated, Israeli gov't tells High Court
The Movement for Quality Government in Israel said that the government's response 'clearly reveals the serious flaws' in its dismissal attempts. After receiving an extension for its response to the High Court of Justice on the attempts to fire Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara, the government on Sunday doubled down on its position in its response, explaining that it is unreasonable to force the government to work with a legal adviser 'that is actively working against its policies.' The position, authored by Justice Minister Yariv Levin and Diaspora Affairs and Combatting Antisemitism Minister Amichai Chikli, pointed to what it described as 'absurd,' that the government can't be legally represented by its own lawyer -the attorney-general - in the rising list of cases where they clash. 'We expect the court to acknowledge this absurdity. The Attorney-General worked systematically to cut the cord between her office and the government, we now expect the court to finish it off,' reads the position. Part of the issue, which has been long-present in legal debate, is that the attorney-general wears two hats: it heads the prosecution, meaning it represents the government's position in significant cases, and it also is the chief legal adviser to the government and considered the weightiest interpreter of the law. When her interpretation of the law differs from the government, her office can't represent it, leading to the sticky situation the two authorities are in today. A ministerial committee is scheduled to convene tomorrow to discuss her dismissal, the hastened solution Levin has been pushing, after he failed to fill the positions needed for the public-professional committee that would oversee the process, hand in hand with the government. Petitions to freeze the hearing have been submitted, which the government insisted in its decision should be wholly rejected. Levin's decision to leave the process instead in the hands of ministers has faced fierce criticism for politicizing a delicate and sensitive topic. Proponents argue that the situation is so dire as to make the work relationship between the government and the attorney-general obsolete. In the last line of the decision, the ministers note that an injunction against the ministerial hearing would be 'wildly exceptional' and 'fundamentally opposed to the legal principle by which legal overview should take place after an act has been committed, not before.' The government called for the injunction requests to be rejected. The decision did not address the attorney-general's position, concretized in several advisery opinions over the past few weeks, that the legislation to dismiss her has far-reaching consequences for the legal advisery as a whole and for whoever her successor may be - it would politicize a powerful key position, viewed by some as one of the only checks on power on the government. The Movement for Quality Government in Israel (MQG) said that the government's response 'clearly reveals the serious flaws' in its dismissal attempts. 'Instead of presenting a real legal justification for changing the mechanism, the government is trying to explain why it needs to dismiss the attorney general right now and why it needs to do so by changing the rules of the game. The response indicates that the government is aware of the weakness of the move from a legal perspective and is trying to justify a decision that was made in a clear conflict of interest,' it explained.
Daily Mirror
2 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Scooter Braun gives verdict on Justin Bieber album two years after cutting ties
Scooter Braun has shared his thoughts on Justin Beiber's seventh studio album, titled Swag - which has been released two years after they stopped working together Scooter Braun has delivered his verdict on Justin Bieber's new album - two years after their working relationship came to an abrupt end. Music manager Scooter, 44, helped discover Justin, 31, when he was just a 13-year-old boy singing songs on YouTube. Over the years, Scooter helped craft Justin's career - which included smash hits such as Baby, What Do You Mean?, and Sorry. But the boys went their separate ways in 2023 following the release of Justin's album, Justice, which topped the charts in 2021. On Friday, Justin stunned fans when he dropped his seventh album, Swag, without previously promoting it. The record drew favourable reviews from critics and left fans picking through the lyrics to find clues over the state of his marriage to Hailey Bieber as the pair have appeared strained in recent months. The Canadian pop star collaborated with a string of musicians and producers on the album, including Sexyy Red, 2 Chainz, Dijon, and more. And while Scooter was not involved in the making of the album, he has endorsed the record - branding it Justin's finest effort to date. Taking to social media on Saturday, the music manager lavished praise on his protégé and urged fans to give the album a listen. In a glowing Instagram Stories post, he wrote: 'Been having a beautiful start to the weekend and been getting a lot of texts about how I feel about Justin's new album. 'So I will just leave this here.. This is without a doubt, the most authentically Justin Bieber album to date. It's beautiful, raw, and truly him. And that matters.' He continued: 'I've had the privilege of witnessing his growth for almost two decades. Along every journey, there comes a time when an artist fully steps into their own — and that's what he's done here. He's poured his soul into this project, and you can feel it in every single run. 'The way he chose to release it is just as intentional as the music itself — and I'm happy to see him do it this way. I have played no roll in this one, but as someone who's always believed in him, I'm incredibly proud and impressed and genuinely enjoying the music." Scooter added: "Justin has a special tone that I have witnessed for almost 2 decades. It's the best in the world. And because of that special tone, I have to say daisies is probably my favorite record on the album." In a final call to action, and update on the rest of his day, Scooter concluded: "Stream Swag and support and authentic voice. Now I'm off to take my kids to watch Superman. Have a great weekend." Fans have delighted in Justin's new album - which contains revealing tracks including Go Baby which shows him praising his wife, Hailey. The couple, who share a baby son named Jack, have faced scrutiny in recent months with fans fearing for their marriage. But Justin's lyrics heap praise on his wife - and takes aim at the gossip surrounding their romance. His lyrics begin: "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." Other tracks show the singer reflecting on his past and future - while lyrics also show him opening up about his faith and deep belief in Christianity.
Express Tribune
2 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Justin Bieber breaks streaming record with surprise album SWAG and sparks early Grammy buzz
Justin Bieber's surprise seventh album, SWAG, has shattered personal streaming records, earning nearly 200 million global plays on day one, according to Hits Daily Double. In the U.S. alone, the project is expected to surpass 200 million streams in its first week, making it the biggest Pop/R&B streaming debut of 2025. Released via Def Jam on July 11 with no prior promo beyond cryptic billboards in cities like Los Angeles, New York, and Reykjavik, SWAG marks Bieber's first solo album since 2021's Justice. The 21-track record features collaborators including Gunna, Sexyy Red, Cash Cobain, Lil B, Dijon, Eddie Benjamin, and gospel icon Marvin Winans. Early reviews point to a darker, more introspective tone, with Bieber drawing from his personal life as a new father and his evolving relationship with fame and faith. According to People, Bieber adopted a deeply personal approach in both the music and visuals, with behind-the-scenes footage featuring his wife Hailey and their son. Sources close to the artist call the release 'a huge milestone,' noting that Bieber was initially nervous about dropping such a raw project. The rollout appears to have paid off. Based on early streaming and sales data, SWAG is projected to debut with over 175,000 album-equivalent units in its first week—a figure that combines streams, digital downloads, and physical sales. In a supportive message, former manager Scooter Braun called the project 'beautiful, raw and truly him,' while early Grammy chatter suggests SWAG may be a serious contender come awards season. With SWAG already rewriting Bieber's career stats and reigniting fan excitement, all eyes are now on whether this surprise drop leads to a Grammy sweep—and what creative direction he'll take next.
