Saturday, July 12, 2025 - Singer Justin Bieber has released his most personal album
On Friday, July 11, Def Jam dropped SWAG, the 31-year-old pop star’s seventh studio album and his first in four years. Across its 21 tracks, Bieber delves into everything from his mental health battles to recent strains in his marriage.
The project features appearances from Sexyy Red, Dijon, Lil
B, Gunna, Cash Cobain, 2 Chainz, comedian Druski, and more. It follows 2021’s
Justice.
Among the album’s standout moments is “Walking Away,” where
Bieber seems to reference tensions with wife, Hailey Bieber:
“Days go by so fast, don’t wanna
spend them with you
So tell me
why you’re throwing stones at my back
You know
I’m defenseless...
Girl, we
better stop before we say some s–t
We’ve been
testing our patience
I think we
better off if we just take a break.”
But he makes it clear their love remains strong, singing
later:
“Baby, I ain’t walking away
You were my
diamond
Gave you a
ring, I made you a promise
I told you,
‘I’d change’...
And baby, I
ain’t walking away.”
The album also nods to Bieber’s viral run-in with paparazzi
last month—when he snapped, “I’m a dad. I’m a husband. I’m standing on
business.” That line inspired track 16, “Standing on Business,” which features
a playful appearance by Druski.
Bieber worked on SWAG in Iceland earlier this year. Last
week, he teased the release by sharing the tracklist and a black-and-white
billboard in Reykjavik. On Instagram, he posted intimate family photos with
Hailey and their 10-month-old son, Jack.
“My forever n always,” he captioned
one shot of him hugging Hailey.
The album arrives amid a turbulent stretch for Bieber. A 2023 documentary claimed financial stress drove him to sell his music catalog for $200 million in December 2022 after his Justice tour fell apart. An audit later revealed he owed former manager Scooter Braun over $8 million. Last week, Bieber finalized a settlement, agreeing to repay Braun and other debts.
Bieber and Hailey, who married in 2018, welcomed Jack in
August 2024. While sources told US Weekly that Bieber has been “difficult to
deal with” during this period, Hailey has reportedly held their family
together. Still, the couple has continued to publicly praise one another.
“I’ve done a lot of dumb things, but
the smartest was marrying Hailey,” Bieber told Vogue.
Hailey added, “I’ve learned so much
from Justin… he’s had to face the most scrutiny of any person I know. He told
me, ‘Baby, I’ve been here before. You’re not going to win. There is no
winning.’”
SWAG marks another chapter in Bieber’s eventful career, which
began when Braun discovered his YouTube videos in 2007.
Now 31, Bieber has won dozens of awards—including Grammys,
Billboard, and American Music Awards and continues to open up through his
music.
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