Pop singer Justin Bieber finally returned after a four-year musical hiatus with his seventh studio album, Swag, and a new title for himself: dad.

Fans have been eagerly awaiting his next project since he released Justice in March of 2021.

As a new father to his son, Jack, Bieber released his long-awaited album, featuring songs that portray his emotions about his life at home and how it reflects on the public. 

Bieber began his career at 13-years-old and has lived in the spotlight ever since. With that fame came paparazzi incidents, scandals and rumors that shaped much of the public’s view of him. Now in his 30s, Bieber uses his album to address these speculations through a different, more constructive medium: music. 

Despite the surprise his fans felt about the new album, which was announced on Instagram only 10 hours before the release in early July, it debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 chart, setting the pace for a successful launch.

Out of the 21 songs, 16 made it onto the Billboard Hot 100 chart, with the song “Daisies” leading the bunch at No. 2. In this song, Bieber sings about the challenges he and his wife, Hailey Bieber, faced throughout their marriage. 

Combining the emotional lyrics and the calm, yet rhythmic, instrumental with a heavy bass track, the artist conveys his thoughts about the ups and downs of his marriage and his role as a husband. He shows his longing for his wife amid the troubles in their relationship when he sings, “I’m counting the days, how many days, till I can see you again.”

Continuing his marriage story, Justin Bieber sings about his commitment to his partner in the song “Walking Away.” The title implies that he will “walk away” from his old life’s negative media presence and start living a renewed one as a father and husband. He emphasizes the promises he made to his wife when they tied the knot, and his determination to make the changes necessary in his life to stay true.

Using the same instrumental pattern, Justin Bieber sings, “Baby, I ain’t walking away. You are my diamond, gave you a ring, made you a promise, told you I’d change,” to reinforce his devotion to his commitment.

Taking a different approach toward the end of the album, Justin Bieber reflects on his feelings as a new dad in the song, “Dadz Love.” With a very faint melody, this song relies more on the percussive beat and chorus-like chanting and singing. 

Throughout the song, the artist repeats several phrases such as “that’s love,” “you know that’s love” and “life is great.” These lyrics fade in and out throughout the track in an abstract manner, ultimately to emphasize Justin Bieber’s newfound mindset to do better as a husband and a dad. 

Although most of the 21 songs in the album weave together to form a story, the song “Soulful” is more like a speech featuring artist Druski, who talks about Justin Bieber’s album and his satisfaction with it. This track does not have a melody or any instrumentation. 

As track number nine, this song seems out of place, breaking the flow of songs with beautiful melodies and lyrics. To avoid disrupting the flow, this song would have worked better at the very end of the album, to act as a powerful ending to Justin Bieber’s story. 

Stepping into the next big chapter of his life, the singer shows his growth as an individual and his desire to become a better version of himself through this album that is full of “swag.”