Let’s get it out the way: the new Justin Bieber album slaps. After months of haters and fans alike speculating about the artist’s mental well-being, no one expected Bieber to drop such an introspective project out of the blue, let alone one that blends Mk.gee-ified guitar pop with R&B, hip-hop and gospel music. But that’s only part of the story.

At the very least, it seems that both Justin and Hailey have capitalised well on their recent controversies – if not engineered them altogether. Reposting the SWAG album announcement on her story last night, Mrs. Bieber briefly wrote: “Is it finally clocking to you fucking losers?” before deleting it, referencing the meme based on her husband’s recent run-in with paparazzi. Meanwhile, on SWAG’s “STANDING ON BUSINESS” skit, we hear YouTube personality Druski and Justin reacting to the viral video. “Sometimes I know you’re trolling,” Druski offers up to mumbles of agreement. “[People] don’t even understand it, like, ‘Oh my God, he’s losing his fucking mind!’ [...] Nah, I just think he’s being a human being, he’s enjoying social media like the rest of us.”

This is probably the only good moment to come out of Druski’s running commentary on the project. Elsewhere, he urges Justin to smoke more Black and Mild cigars (looking at Justin’s dishevelled appearance at Coachella, my prognosis would probably be less smoking), and makes the wild claim that Justin is Black because of his soulful vocals. “Your skin white, but your soul Black, Justin, I promise you,” says Druski, as Justin passively giggles “Thank you,” in the background. Riiiight.

It is this passiveness that places a big asterisk next to what is otherwise a great pop record. SWAG sounds less like Justin Bieber and more like Two Star & the Dream Police: All-Star Edition, sonically rooting itself in Mk.gee’s washed-out guitar noodling – all well and good, except that the man himself is only credited on one of the tracks. There’s also a heaped tablespoon of Dijon’s neon-lit R&B thrown into the mix, too. Between all of this, and much like his conversations with Druski, Justin’s voice seems to firmly take a backseat.

Even with guest verses from Sexyy Red, Cash Cobain and Gunna, however, it is still when Justin’s vocals come together with the Mk.gee and Dijon-coded production that SWAG truly becomes something special. Where his voice was once flattened and plastered across the front of the mix in his child star days, there’s a palpable maturity and emotion in Justin’s performances on tracks like “DAISIES”, “GO BABY” and “WALKING AWAY”, on which he reflects on both pride for Hailey (“That's my baby, she's iconic, iPhone case, lip gloss on it”), as well as their marital strife. In that, at least, it’s hard not to feel proud of Mr. Bieber.  

Below, we rank our top five tracks from the surprise drop. 

5. “ALL I CAN TAKE”

Given recent headlines, anyone booting up SWAG this morning would understandably have felt a slight apprehension. Lead track “ALL I CAN TAKE” quickly dispels any concerns. It confidently sets out SWAG’s surprise formula, letting the dreamy guitar pop instrumental build before introducing Justin’s subdued and pleading vocals.This ain’t “Baby”, baby. 

4. “SWEET SPOT FEAT. SEXYY RED”

Even though Justin has stayed true to his previous promise never to swear in his music on SWAG, “SWEET SHOP” is as X-rated as they come. “Give me anything to eat like it’s a sweet shop [...] I make it freaky in the sheets, let’s make the sheets hot,” Justin sings, while Sexyy Red does what Sexyy Red does best: rap about sex (albeit monogamous sex this time around). This track is also about as poppy as SWAG gets, with Justin’s silky smooth chorus being among the best that the project has to offer.

3. “DEVOTION FEAT. DIJON”

Knocking the BPM down a notch with muted, plodding percussion, harmonica flourishes and washed-out country guitar twangs, the production on “DEVOTION” is timeless. This sepia-toned colour palette is reflected in Justin’s lyrics, which evoke country nostalgia with references to the “old patio” and long drives home. Meanwhile, Dijon delivers the best guest appearance on the project, with his dynamic, smoke-clouded verse providing a strong companion to Justin’s smooth and steady delivery. “DEVOTION” is the furthest departure from SWAG’s star-studded recipe, and holds an integral place on the project. 

2. “WALKING AWAY”

While SWAG seems mostly content to inhabit the realm of easy listening, it is at its most compelling in its more conflicted moments. Featuring Justin owning his past mistakes in his relationship with Hailey but also reaffirming his commitment to not “walk away” from the relationship, “WALKING AWAY” delivers the exact sort of mature self-reflection that fans had hoped for after the year that Justin has had. “Every time you don’t say my name I’m remindеd how I love it when you say it,” he sings. Ooft. 

1. “DAISIES”

Between Mk.gee’s iconic lead melody, and Justin’s ruminations on a relationship at a crossroads, “DAISIES” really is SWAG at its best. Casting the star playing ‘love-me-not’ with the petals of a daisy, torn between pleading for forgiveness and trying to give his partner all the time she needs, this is the most vulnerable Justin we’ve ever heard. Meanwhile, Mk.gee’s soul-searching guitar riffs provide the perfect companion to Justin’s intimate lyricism, creating a fragile track which is destined to break charts and hearts alike. This pairing is all that SWAG is about, and thank God Mr. Two Star gets the credit he deserves here.