Justin Bieber’s 'SWAG' - Love It or Hate It

In his most recent album, Justin Bieber expresses a strong desire to protect his family. Photo: Renell Medrano

Canadian pop star Justin Bieber surprised fans with the sudden release of his seventh studio album, SWAG. The 31-year-old posted on his Instagram photos of Los Angeles billboards featuring the monochrome album cover; a shirtless Bieber looking at his wife, Hailey, who is holding their son, Jack Blue.

The cover art for SWAG. Photo: @lilbieber/Instagram

Fans were quick to draw comparisons between the album art and Kendrick Lamar’s Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers, as both were shot by Renell Medrano and convey themes of vulnerability and introspection. The 21-track album features notable collaborations, including rapper Gunna, comedian Druski, and pastor Marvin Winans.

Bieber’s recent Instagram sprawl served up his private life on a silver platter, inviting the public to dissect the intricacies of the Bieber household. SWAG silences the critics. Even though the chorus of "Go Baby" sounds like a record stuck on repeat, Bieber champions his wife. Whether it's shouting-out her lip-gloss holding iPhone case through ethereal harmonies, or promising Hailey “baby, I ain’t walking away” in the old-school R&B track Walking Away, Bieber's love songs evoke a sense of nostalgia for the early 2000s.

If that’s not true love, I don’t know what is.

The Biebers present a united family front in this album. Photo: @lilbieber/Instagram

From the age of 15, Bieber has been public property. "Butterflies" and "Standing on Business" sample audio from viral paparazzi showdowns where Bieber criticizes the media’s relentless pursuit of money over human dignity. Both confrontations birthed the infamous lines “money, money, money” and “it’s not clocking to you that i’m standing on business is it?”. The  Druski interludes throughout SWAG showcase Bieber's frustration and willingness to engage in intimate, broader social commentary on media intrusion.

That being said, SWAG is disjointed. Transitions from smooth R&B to spacious cinematic synths create an uncomfortable listening experience. "Sweet Spot" and "405" feel jarring after the candid track "Therapy Session." A reflection of Bieber’s personal chaos maybe? You only need to take one look at his Instagram feed - a mix of chaotic visuals.  A cry for help or a newfound comfort in self-expression?

Compared to his 2020 docu-series, Justin Bieber: Seasons, SWAG appears to be a more urgent plea for healing and forgiveness. Its R&B sound complements his introspection. Take Zuma House - a short but powerful display of a “decaying” man yearning for salvation. The relaxed low-fi sound complements his smooth R&B vocals as he sings “If I fall, ooh would you catch me? And if I let you down, would you forgive me?” Moreover, Bieber ends his messy journal with the gospel tune Forgiveness; a direct appeal for redemption .

Justin isn't 'walking away' from Hailey anytime soon. Photo: @lilbieber/Instagram

Justin Bieber's SWAG is a testament to his complex evolution. While perhaps not the definitive comeback fans anticipated, this pandora’s box marks the debut of the authentic Bieber—no longer the manufactured teen idol releasing formulaic pop. As a husband and father, Bieber now possesses the artistic confidence to translate years of struggle into his music. SWAG is messy, uncomfortable, and confusing, but love it or hate it, the album is a raw and honest encapsulation of a talented, albeit unpredictable, man.