Justin Bieber has surprise-released a new album called Swag. The album features Dijon, Lil B, Sexyy Red, the comedian Druski, Gunna, Cash Cobain, 2 Chainz, and others. Production comes from Dijon, Mk.gee, Knox Fortune, Daniel Caesar, and more, and a key songwriter across the album is Tobias Jesso Jr. Listen to the album below.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Bieber had been hosting “jam sessions” at his Los Angeles home in recent months. The publication also reported that the singer decamped to Iceland to jam, “vibe out,” and finish his album.
One of the new album’s collaborators, Mk.gee, had previously spoken about his work with Bieber for a New York Times feature. “He’s searching,” the guitarist told The Times’ Joe Coscarelli last year. “Anything that comes out of his mouth: That’s pop music,” he continued. “You can really do pretty wild stuff behind that, just because it represents something.”
Swag is Bieber’s seventh studio album and first since 2021’s Justice. He began his Justice World Tour the next year, but he had to cancel it early due to health issues. The tour cancellation apparently led to financial issues with his then-manager Scooter Braun, who allegedly helped Bieber cover the more than $20 million that the singer owed to the tour’s promoter, AEG Presents. Bieber and Braun recently settled their dispute, according to The Hollywood Reporter and TMZ.
In 2023, Bieber sold his catalog to Recognition Music Group (then known as Hipgnosis) for a reported $200 million. It marked the company’s largest catalog acquisition at the time.
Bieber has limited his musical output in the time since Justice. He teamed up with SZA on “Snooze (Acoustic),” Kehlani on “Up at Night,” and Omah Lay on “Attention,” to name a few of his collaborative efforts. He also shared the songs “Honest,” “I Feel Funny,” and “Beautiful Love (Free Fire).”
Justin Bieber soundtracked one of his promotional posts for Swag with Florida rapper Bossman Dlow’s Mr Beat the Road standout “Talk My Shit.” Read more about the pop superstar’s fascination with regional hip-hop in Alphonse Pierre’s column “What the Hell Is Justin Bieber Doing on Rob49’s ‘WTHelly?’”
