Overview

• Justin Bieber surprised fans on July 11 by releasing “Swag,” his seventh studio album and first project in four years issued under his sole creative control without prior promotion.
• He concurrently resolved a multimillion-dollar dispute with former manager Scooter Braun by agreeing to repay about $31.5 million tied to his canceled 2022 tour advance and unpaid commissions.
• Braun took to Instagram Stories on July 12 to hail “Swag” as “the most authentically Justin Bieber album to date,” praising its raw tone and the singer’s artistic growth.
• Hailey Bieber, whose input guided Justin’s stripped-down approach, responded with a side-eye selfie set to Mariah Carey’s “Obsessed,” underscoring nuanced post-split relations with Braun.
• Featuring 21 tracks with collaborators such as Gunna, Sexyy Red and Eddie Benjamin, “Swag” showcases an introspective, R&B-infused sound born from Bieber’s new creative autonomy.