The 21-track LP was released in a surprise drop and sees the singer reflect on his experiences as a husband and father, following online speculation around his marriage to wife Hailey Bieber.
It comes after the 31-year-old began to post teasers on Instagram last night as mysterious billboards were put up in locations around the world, with the new album described as “some of his most personal music yet”.
In May this year, Hailey, daughter of US actor Stephen Baldwin, told Vogue that postpartum life had been “very difficult” describing constant internet rumours as a “crazy life to live”.
She said giving birth to their son Jack Blues Bieber last August was one of the “hardest things” she has ever done after going through an 18-hour labour. The couple has been married since 2018.
Track titles on the new record include “Therapy Session”, “Dadz Love”, and “Devotion”.
The project marks the return of the 31-year-old singer more than three years after his last single, “Honest”, a duet with Don Toliver. His previous album, “Justice,” was released in 2021.
Bieber has collaborated with US rappers Gunna, Lil B, and Cash Cobain, among others, on this seventh album.
He posted a video on his Instagram account yesterday showing the track list for “Swag” on a large screen in Times Square in New York City. Posters also appeared this week in Reykjavik, Iceland, where US media said Bieber finalised the album in April.
Bieber’s comeback follows a period marked by the singer’s withdrawal from media. His fans, known as “Beliebers”, had been hoping for a new album for several months.
In 2022, Bieber was forced to cancel the remainder of his world tour – 82 of 131 scheduled concerts – after revealing he suffered from Ramsay Hunt syndrome, a neurological disorder that partially paralysed his face.
The hashtag #SWAGOUTNOW was among the top global trends on X a few hours after the album’s release, underscoring fans’ excitement.
Bieber rose to prominence in 2010 at just 15 years old with the global hit “Baby”, becoming a teen pop star before turning to R&B.