Lower than two months on from the discharge of his shock seventh album ‘Swag’, Canadian pop star Justin Bieber is again standing on enterprise as soon as once more, and introduced his imaginatively titled follow-up ‘Swag II’ with lower than a day’s discover. Although it was initially promised at midnight, the pastel-pink launch finally arrived three hours late – with a annoyed Bieber telling followers that he was additionally “clicking refresh” and ready for it to hit streaming companies.
Whereas ‘Swag’ featured its justifiable share of lyrical honkers (‘Go Child’’s breathless name-check for Hailey Bieber’s line of phone-mounted lip gloss holders is definitely the low level), its successor largely retains issues easy and is stronger for it. Fortunately, ‘Swag’s second instalment can be barely much less attractive than its predecessor, which noticed Bieber threatening to “make your sheets scorching” with all of the sultry attract of an electrical blanket’s security leaflet.
As a substitute, the main focus is lighter and infrequently extra tender. “It’s half previous seven, I had someplace to be,” he sings on ‘Mom In You’, an acoustic-led music about fatherhood, opening with the primary time Bieber met his son. “I suppose I’m late, however I acquired a cause; you’re an attractive world that’s countin’ on me”. Although the notorious paparazzi confrontation Bieber sampled straight on ‘Standing On Enterprise’ returns for ‘Velocity Demon’, it’s deployed much more playfully this time round. “Is it clocking to you?” he asks, atop a breezy guitar groove and hip-hop-influenced beat.
On ‘Love Music’ – Mk.Gee’s lone credit score right here, and in addition one of many document’s strongest songs – loads of room is left for jazzy licks of piano to ring out. Tems is a brilliant alternative of visitor star on ‘I Assume You’re Particular’, whereas ‘Dangerous Honey’ is one other standout. The latter sees Bieber having loads of enjoyable with strutting, funk-influenced vocal supply, and chucking in loads of falsetto for good measure.
There are additionally some sizable missteps: Justin Bieber reciting the Biblical story of Adam and Eve for nearly eight minutes on nearer ‘Story Of God’ specifically looks like an pointless indulgence, and thematically ‘Swag II’ sticks to 2 repetitive subjects: loving God, and loving his spouse.
Other than the welcome absence of Druski’s rambling interludes this time round, there may be additionally little to distinguish ‘Swag II’’s sound from that of its predecessor, with collaborators similar to Dijon, Mk.Gee, Carter Lang and Eddie Benjamin all returning for a second serving to of the luscious, R&B-influenced sound Bieber cultivated on ‘Swag’. There aren’t any apparent large singles on an album, which was apparently being tweaked and adjusted up till the ultimate hour.
‘Swag II’ additionally faucets into the identical air of an experimental, diaristic side-project or mixtape, however treads little new floor consequently. Making an attempt out new issues is all nicely and good, however each instalments of ‘Swag’ may’ve benefitted from a a lot harsher edit, and brought as an entirety, the two-plus hours are a monotonous slog.
Similarly to Taylor Swift’s shock addition to ‘The Tortured Poet’s Division’, the mammoth deluxe version of SZA’s ‘SOS’, or Drake’s prolonged ‘Scary Hours’ version of ‘For All The Canines’, you may’t assist however really feel cynical a couple of bloated tracklist’s skill to spice up streaming numbers whereas including little or no cohesion. It’s irritating as a result of there’s loads of nice materials scattered throughout these two components, which might be far stronger as a single, shorter launch. Put bluntly, it’s important to surprise: did this actually should be a double album?
Particulars
- Report label: Def Jam Recordings
- Launch date: September 5, 2025
