NEW YORK (AP) 鈥 If it wasn’t clocking to you before, it should be now. Justin Bieber is doing whatever he wants.
The 31-year-old has surprised listeners with a second new album in 2025 鈥 follows July’s 鈥淪wag.鈥 Both arrived shortly after mysterious billboards teasing the records cropped up in major cities. The new album, his eighth, is an obvious companion piece, not only in name, but also in sound, theme and zeal. Liken it to Taylor Swift’s double album drop 鈥 this 23-track album is for his diehard loyalists. (Or 44 tracks, if listened to with 鈥淪wag,鈥 a combined run time of two hours and 11 minutes.)
The first installment was, in some ways, a return to form. Before he became the internet’s first true popstar, and long before he’d find additional fame for his EDM-pop megahits 鈥淲here Are 脺 Now鈥 and 鈥淲hat Do You Mean?,鈥 Bieber was a 12-year-old Canadian kid uploading R&B covers to a YouTube account created by his mom to share with his friends. His performances were ambitious 鈥 Ne-Yo鈥檚 鈥淪o Sick鈥 and 鈥淩espect鈥 among them 鈥 and charismatic, eventually catching the eye of and then the world. On 鈥淪wag,鈥 Bieber pulled from those soulful influences, experimenting in the process. Slow-burn, alternative R&B-pop has always been a sweet spot; and on the introspective album, he reunited with those sounds, progressed by some future-seeking collaborators like on 鈥淒aisies鈥 and the rising R&B singer Dijon on the Prince-esque 鈥淒evotion.鈥
ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW
Both reappear on 鈥淪wag ll,鈥 as do rappers Lil B and Australian singer Eddie Benjamin. There are three new voices as well: rapper Hurricane Chris and the English singer Bakar. Notably absent are the self-referential skits of the first release with the comedian Druski.
And like the first, there are religious ruminations (most directly, in the nearly 8-minute-long coda 鈥淪tory of God,鈥 in which Bieber tells the story of Adam and Eve) and odes to his wife (鈥淏etter Man,鈥 鈥淢other in You鈥). In one, the hooky 鈥淟ove Song,鈥 he sings to with an accidental Sara Bareilles-recollection: 鈥淚 wanna write you a love song / I wanna write you a good one you can鈥檛 stop singing to me.鈥 In that regard, there’s a kind of lightness to 鈥淪wag ll鈥 鈥 likely because Bieber spends less time considering how he is depicted in the media (think 鈥淭herapy Session鈥 and the paparazzi recording that introduces 鈥淏utterflies鈥 on 鈥淪wag鈥), and, instead, goes deeper into his relationships. There’s a reason the 鈥淪wag ll鈥 album cover is baby pink and 鈥淪wag鈥 was jet black after all.
Bieber continues with the dreamy production of the first 鈥淪wag.鈥 Sometimes it works, sometimes it feels repetitive. Some songs are so lo-fi as to feel unfinished, like demos released to function as interludes or raw evocations of vulnerability (鈥淒otted Line,鈥 in particular). Others have obvious delights, from the joyful trap hi-hats of 鈥淧oppin’ My S—-鈥 to 鈥淧etting Zoo,鈥 which recalls his beloved 2013 album 鈥淛ournals.鈥 Bieber ornaments 鈥淓ye Candy鈥 with which succeeds 鈥 particularly in advance of the next song, 鈥淒on’t Wanna鈥 featuring Bakar, with its MJ-like production. 鈥淟ove Song鈥 is a contender for the album’s best; 鈥淪peed Demon鈥 brings back rap-singing Bieber.
Across 23 鈥 or 44 鈥 songs, those who sift will find gold. They’ll also hear a lot of love.
Three stars out of five.
On repeat: 鈥淟ove Song鈥
Skip it: 鈥淒otted Line鈥
For fans of: 鈥淪wag,鈥 the 2011 film 鈥淛ustin Bieber: Never Say Never鈥
To join the conversation set a first and last name in your user profile.
Sign in or register for free to join the Conversation