Justin Bieber: New Album, New Freedom

ICYMI, Justin Bieber dropped a surprise new album on Friday, one day after reportedly splitting from his longtime manager, Scooter Braun.

The new album “Swag” marks a turning point for Bieber, as Rolling Stone called it his “adult reality” and “some of the most creative and wide-ranging music of his life.” The album includes several collaborations with various artists.

A source close to Bieber also told Rolling Stone that “breaking away from Scooter Braun and his team has been something that Justin has wanted for so long and now that he’s fully free, he could finally share this album with his fans and with the world.”

Bieber and Braun ended their business relationship in 2023. However, the two were embroiled in a financial dispute that was finally settled last week, when Bieber agreed to pay Braun $31 million. A total of $26 million was part of an advance he received from AEG Presents for his canceled 2022 Justice tour. Another $5.5 million covers some unpaid commissions Bieber owed Braun.

The official split from Braun also means that Bieber will now own his masters, starting with the new album, “Swag.” By the way, if this sounds familiar, it’s because Taylor Swift famously battled with Scooter Braun over the ownership of her masters.

The source close to Bieber also told Rolling Stone that “having full creative freedom, sadly, is something new for him as an artist. Not having to stress about creating the perfect single, or perfect album allowed for him to create the best body of music he’s ever made.”

Bieber’s wife, Hailey Bieber, showed her support for the new album by posting links and clips from several songs to her Instagram stories. 

Check out a couple of the new songs below!