Justin Bieber‘s seventh studio album landed on streaming platforms final evening seemingly out of skinny air. In someday, the pop celebrity quietly launched a brand new trend model Skylrk (after publicly stepping down from his earlier one, Drew Home), and with no drawn-out promotional run, introduced his first album in 4 years — pointedly titled “Swag.”

However the 21-song file is not any impulsive drop. Bieber has been within the studio for some time, curating a well-rounded roster of collaborators: longtime producer Harv, Carter Lang (SZA) and Eddie Benjamin, amongst others. The album additionally takes sonic cues from guitar-centric innovator Mk.gee (closely, at that) and Dijon, whereas securing options from Lil B, Gunna, Sexyy Purple and Money Cobain.

When Bieber began teasing the album simply hours earlier than its launch, reactions have been polarized: some anticipated a masterpiece, others a catastrophe. The reality? It lands someplace in between Bieber’s greatness and his proclivity to provide in to his inventive impulses, for higher or worse, current in a pocket of R&B that may usually really feel aimless however is however intentional.

Now 31, Bieber occupies a uncommon tier of pop stardom. Sheer longevity and international identify recognition afford him a degree of inventive freedom that some by no means attain. Like his friends — Ariana Grande, for example, or a veteran like Justin Timberlake — Bieber has the inventive luxurious to experiment. Whether or not that results in reinvention or self-indulgence can rely upon the execution, and on “Swag,” it usually teeters between each.

For the reason that launch of “Justice” in 2021, Bieber has undergone a public transformation. He grew to become a father; severed ties with longtime supervisor Scooter Braun in 2023; scrapped his 2022 tour amid stories of “alleged monetary misery; and was identified with a neurological dysfunction. Extra lately, there’s been widespread hypothesis about his psychological well being, fueled by his erratic social media posts and viral paparazzi run-ins (two of that are sampled throughout the album).

On “Swag,” essentially the most revealing insights into his mind-set come within the type of interludes that includes Web character Druski, who bizarrely performs the position of voice of purpose… for no matter purpose. On “Remedy Session,” he suggests Bieber’s cryptic on-line conduct is simply trolling. Bieber’s response carries extra weight: “Persons are at all times askin’ if I’m okay… it begins to make me really feel like I’m the one with points and everybody else is ideal.”

However except for these transient glimpses into the rationale behind a persona that’s drawn limitless hypothesis, “Swag” largely forgoes self-reflection for his devotion to his spouse Hailey and son Jack. The file is a love letter to the duty of household and the feelings it elicits, largely in a optimistic mild and, by design or not, countering the tabloid narrative that their marriage has been rocky.

On “Strolling Away,” a uncommon respite from the extra doting data, he admits he’s not the most effective husband, reaffirming his dedication to do and be higher — a promise he made when he first proposed marriage. However he spends a lot of the file traipsing the other finish of the spectrum: On “Too Lengthy,” for example, he praises her potential to “do me like magic” and “carry on strokin’ my ego.” On the romance-fueled “Go Child,” he describes her as “iconic,” even giving her billion-dollar cosmetics firm a shout out.

Musically, the album evokes the sounds of late ’80s R&B and early ’90s pop, together with his silky vocals doing numerous the heavy lifting. It’s not a return to the “Journals”-era R&Bieber of 2013, however it’s a few of his most impassioned work in recent times, rooted within the Usher college of R&B and pop balladry. Opener “All I Can Take” brims with Michael Jackson-esque syncopated drums and vocal urgency. Observe-ups “Daisies” and “Yukon” have a contemporary power, guided by Mk.gee-infused guitar textures and spacious R&B backdrops.

Mk.gee’s affect is felt closely all through “Swag,” although his contributions can usually really feel much less thrilling than the extra attention-building hooky moments on songs like “Candy Spot,” the place Bieber flexes with smoothness and precision — that’s, till Sexyy Purple comes crashing in, throwing off the temper fully. Nonetheless, essentially the most potent components of the album lean into what has at all times labored greatest for him: rhythm, moderation and soul. This a lot is obvious on “Glory Voice Memo,” a uncooked snippet of Bieber seemingly recording a second of vocal exultation. Druski chimes in once more with a line that’s as ridiculous as it’s oddly honest: “Your pores and skin white, however your soul black, Justin, I promise you.”

This file could also be merely a prelude (a reverse Miley Cyrus, if you’ll, who lately teased that her newest “One thing Stunning” is teeing up a extra experimental file), with rumors swirling {that a} extra conventional pop album is already within the works. However greater than a decade after his debut, he stays relentless in his pursuit of inventive greatness. He doesn’t fairly attain it on “Swag,” however he does stretch his inventive boundaries, touchdown on one thing messier and difficult but, above all, inarguably intriguing.