Is Justin Bieber’s ‘Swag’ his most honest and authentic album yet?

Dubai: Tap play on the opening track, All I Can Take, and you’re immediately swept into a dreamscape of melodic nostalgia, silky, echo-laced vocals riding the groove of late '80s and early '90s R&B. It’s sweet, energetic, and unmistakably Michael Jackson-inspired. 

In an era where modern music often chases viral hooks, Justin Bieber takes a different route, one that feels both refreshing and deliberate.

It’s a bold, if unexpected, way to kick off his seventh studio album, Swag, which closes just as grandly with a gospel outro. 

Just hours after cryptically teasing his return, Bieber dropped Swag on Friday, July 11, his first full-length release in four years.

With 21 tracks, the LP seems like an intentional attempt to make up for lost time. And it’s not just fans who think so - both The Guardian and Rolling Stone have hailed the album as his most authentic and emotionally honest project to date. And honestly, it’s hard to disagree.

For many, this is Bieber’s most self-aware and creatively liberated record since 2013’s Journals.

Even his former manager Scooter Braun, following a very public and fraught professional split, reluctantly praised the album, calling it “without a doubt, the most authentically Justin Bieber album to date.” In a surprisingly gracious Instagram Story, Braun added, “It’s beautiful, raw, and truly him. And that matters.”

A lot has changed for the 31-year-old since Justice landed in 2021. In 2022, Bieber cancelled the remainder of his world tour due to health concerns. In 2024, he became a father, welcoming his son, Jack Blues Bieber, with wife Hailey Bieber (who is also the founder of billion dollar skincare brand - Rhode). The weight of that life shift can be heard on Swag, particularly in tracks like Dadz Love, a tender mid-album moment. 

While his name has often trended for the wrong reasons, awkward paparazzi moments, bizarre Instagram rants, or the media’s obsession with his marriage, Swag is a reminder of why Bieber rose to fame in the first place. 

For almost over 50 minutes, the noise fades. He leans into soulful melodies and stripped-back arrangements, revealing an artist who is still evolving and perhaps more grounded than ever.

The album debuted at number one on both Spotify and Apple Music, marking the biggest global streaming day of Bieber’s career. 

Production credits span a who’s-who of modern pop - Dijon, Eddie Benjamin, Daniel Caesar, Harv, Carter Lang, Mk.gee, Knox Fortune and more, names associated with everyone from SZA to Doja Cat to Post Malone. Bieber himself co-produced several tracks, which adds a layer of intimacy to the project.

Tracks like Daisies, Yukon, Walking Away and Way It Is (featuring Gunna) stand out for their layered production and lyrical maturity. The album charts Bieber’s highs and lows with real clarity - fatherhood, fame, faith, and everything in between. 

Still, Swag isn’t flawless. Vocally, some moments fall flat, too mumbly, too safe. At 21 tracks, the album begins to drag, with interludes and certain features that feel more distracting than meaningful. As The Independent rightly noted, it can feel like a slog halfway through. A tighter edit might’ve delivered more punch.

Yet despite its imperfections, Swag is perhaps Bieber’s most focused and inspired work to date. It’s the kind of album you set aside a Saturday night for - headphones on, phone off. 

Whether you're a longtime Belieber or a skeptic, Swag makes one thing clear - Justin Bieber still has something to say and now, more than ever, he’s saying it in his own voice.