AILSA CHANG, HOST:
All right. The artist Justin Bieber is no stranger to controversy. Since catapulting to fame as a tween in the early 2000s, the Canadian pop star has made as many headlines about his celebrity antics as he has about his big hits like "Sorry" and "Peaches." And on Friday, he made news again when he dropped a surprise album called "Swag."
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "ALL I CAN TAKE")
JUSTIN BIEBER: (Singing) And it's all I can take. All I can...
CHANG: It is his first album in more than four years after his record "Justice" in 2021. NPR music editor Hazel Cills joins us now to talk about Bieber's new album. Hi, Hazel.
HAZEL CILLS, BYLINE: Hi. Thank you for having me.
CHANG: Oh, thanks for being with us. OK, I am definitely one of those people who know way more about Justin Bieber through celebrity gossip than through his actual music. Sorry. But what did you think of "Swag"? Like, is this some big comeback for him or what?
CILLS: It is a big comeback, and then it's also not a big comeback in a lot of ways. For me, the most interesting thing about "Swag," listening to it, is kind of its sound and its style. Like, Bieber has worked with a ton of very cool artists on this album - singer-songwriter Tobias Jesso Jr., the producer Dijon and especially this alt-rock star named Mk.gee, real name Michael Gordon, who's all over the album. This album basically doesn't sound like a pop album. It's - there's lots of guitar throughout. It really kind of mixes alternative rock, you know, with R&B.
For example, there's a song called "Daisies" on it, featuring Mk.gee - one of the best songs on this album, for sure. It's almost like a throwback Justin Bieber love song, but there's no real kind of bells and whistles. His vocals totally come through. But for that reason, it's kind of not a comeback record - right? - because it's, like - it's not a huge breakthrough. It's not like a big pop banger album. It's a very personal album. So I don't necessarily see "Swag" as being, like, the sound of the summer.
CHANG: (Laughter).
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "DAISIES")
BIEBER: (Singing) Leave me on read, babe, but I still get the message. Instead of a line...
CHANG: OK, well, I have to get back to the gossip because we're all hearing about how his marriage to Hailey Bieber, the model, could be on the rocks. So does he get at that on this album? I'm so curious.
CILLS: Really, he definitely does. I mean, the thing about "Swag" that's really interesting is it's really an album about Justin Bieber's marriage and about him being, you know, a family man. You know, he's 31 now. He's a father. He's not a teen heartthrob anymore. And it really sounds like "Swag" is an album that he's kind of made for himself and his family; like, not necessarily for his fans or sort of what the industry might expect from him. He's really kind of doubling down on the strength of his marriage, maybe in response to that kind of tabloid fodder.
You know, there's a song on here called "Walking Away" where, you know, he really sings - you know, I think to Hailey - he sings, like, I made you a promise. I told you, I'd change. And sort of talks about the growing pains in their marriage. And so there's a lot of songs on this album where he really kind of dives into, you know, what his marriage is like and really how strong it really is.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "WALKING AWAY")
BIEBER: (Singing) Baby, I ain't walking away. And every time you don't say my name...
CHANG: OK, so a lot on this album about Justin Bieber the family man, but what about all the controversy in the last few years with respect to his career? Because, like, he canceled his last tour in 2023. Does he process that on this album as well?
CILLS: He definitely does process that on his album. You know, Bieber has made some very interesting career moves in the last few years - split from his longtime manager Scooter Braun in 2023. He also sold the rights to his catalog for more than 200 million. And I hear a wearier version of Bieber on this album. I hear someone who is sort of tired with the industry. I hear that especially on a song called "Butterflies," where Bieber kind of sings about, you know, always moving, always hustling. And I really hear an artist who is taking stock of his place in the music industry.
CHANG: That is NPR music editor Hazel Cills. Thank you so much, Hazel.
CILLS: Thank you.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "BUTTERFLIES")
BIEBER: (Singing) Mix of pain and pleasure, never black and white. 'Cause the sun keeps shining... Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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