Justin Bieber has just dropped his latest album, Swag, and it’s a big one. The 31-year-old singer used the new music to open up about his recent run-ins with paparazzi and share thoughts on his mental health.
The seventh studio album landed at midnight on Friday, July 11. Fans barely had any warning. Its existence became known only the day before, on Thursday, July 10. That’s when billboards popped up in places like Iceland, New York, Atlanta, and Los Angeles, announcing his comeback.
Swag features 21 tracks. It blends lo-fi pop sounds with touches of R&B. You’ll also hear voice notes where Bieber reflects on fame, his state of mind, and love. He even brings in snippets of his encounters with photographers. This way, he comments on the public conversations about him. It feels like he’s taking back his story.
Taking Back the Narrative
Just a month ago, a heated chat with paparazzi went viral. That was on June 13. Now, Justin is using his famous words to his advantage. The album includes a 50-second voice note called “Standing on Business.” It kicks off with him saying, "You don’t get it. It doesn’t click for you. It doesn’t click for you that I’m standing on my business, right?"
The clip then turns into a conversation with comedian Druski. Druski teases his friend about how he pronounced "business" during their exchange. Druski tells Justin, "I like how you pronounce ‘business.’ I say, ‘Standing on bid-ness.’ I don’t say, ‘Standing on business, bro.’… You pronounced every word. You can’t pronounce every word like that!" Justin can be heard agreeing, "Yeah, you’re right, you’re right." It’s a funny moment that shows he’s in on the joke.
Life Under the Lens
The singer also seems to tackle the tough side of fame in his song “Butterflies.” He sings about how every move he makes is tracked by photographers. The track opens with another recent viral moment. This time, it’s from outside a coffee shop in Palm Springs, California, back in April. You can hear the star saying, "You want money, money, money, money… get out of here. All you want is money. Go. Get out of here. You all just want money. You don’t care about people. Just money."
That audio then flows into a melody. Justin shares how the paparazzi have turned him into a product. This has made him lose the joy he once had for his music career. He sings that "the butterflies seem to fade." He adds that he, as a person, feels like he’s “moving, moving, moving. I’m just fading away.”
Facing Personal Battles
In another part of the album, Bieber touches on rumors about a tough patch in his marriage with his wife, Hailey Bieber. He does this in the song "Walking Away." Even through difficult times, Justin makes it clear he’s in it for the long haul. He sings, "Baby, I’m not leaving / You were my diamond / I gave you a ring / I made you a promise. I told you I was gonna change / It’s just human nature / These growing pains / And baby, I’m not leaving."
The album also features a short chat with Druski titled "Therapy Session." Here, Justin talks about his cryptic social media activity. Druski jokes that Justin is just trolling his followers. Druski tells him, "Even sometimes when I know you’re trolling, and they don’t even realize it. They’re like, ‘Oh my God, he’s losing his mind!’ But no, I think he’s just being a human being. He just enjoys social media like the rest of us. He does it his way."
Justin then responds, opening up about his mental health struggles. He has been honest about this topic before. "Lately it’s been hard for me to feel like I’ve had to go through a lot of my struggles as a human being — as we all do — in a very public way," he tells his friend. He goes on to add, "So people always ask me if I’m okay, and it starts to really weigh on me. I start to feel like I’m the one with problems, and everyone else is perfect." He suggests he’s not perfect, just like anyone else. In this moment, Justin asks for the same understanding society shows to others who share their struggles online.
The lyrics mentioned are translations.