The latest work from Justin Bieber marked the end of a four-year drought from the music prodigy. His last project, “Justice”, was released in 2021 to average reviews and he appeared to be at an impasse with his path forward. In the years since his largest successes (namely “Journals” and “Purpose”), it seemed that Justin was struggling to find his next sound as he evolved from a young adult to a grown man, husband, and father. If these new responsibilities had no other impact on him, they matured him in ways that only those major life milestones can, and it’s apparent throughout the album.

If SWAG was the appetizer, SWAG II was the main course and the dessert. SWAG showed us the reintroduction of The Biebs as a grown man with a newfound confidence, unapologetically exploring a sonic environment previously unfamiliar to his pulic work. That experimentation opened the door for an even more exploratory SWAG II, which can be painted as a homage to the Aaron Carter days of pop music or Bieber building his ballad résumé, depending on the song. The two albums, both surprises, each have a unifying yet distinct sound that feels like they’re two planets sharing a universe. The color scheme of each mirrored the music as well, with SWAG’s black cover echoing the cold, cool feeling that the production expressed over the album before SWAG II swooped in with a pink cover to deliver its happy-go-lucky charm. At risk of sharing too many analogies, in a lot of ways, it also feels like SWAG is the engagement that leads up to the honeymoon, SWAG II. The softness and vulnerabiltiy exuded across both projects provide a refreshed perspective on one of the world’s most polarizing child stars, leaving listeners with no choice but to put some respect on his name. #SWAG