Justin Bieber’s New Album <em>SWAG</em> Is Actually Kind of Great

Have you ever dreamed of being inside Justin Bieber’s head? Me neither. I listen to the Biebs for bops like “Sorry”—not to analyze the human condition. And yet, on his latest album, SWAG, which he surprise-dropped on Friday, it’s impossible not to. From advice-laden interludes to confessional lyrics about his marriage—and even direct references to his viral tirades against paparazzi—Bieber is staring at himself straight in the mirror and forcing the rest of us to join him. Is it uncomfortable? Extremely.

It’s also kind of great. There’s plenty of lo-fi filler on the dense, 21-track album. But several songs, like “Daisies” and “All I Can Take,” are built on strong, reverb-laden melodies. New contributors like guitar wunderkind Mk.Gee and alt R&B artist Dijon bring a raw, experimental edge to SWAG that suits Bieber’s messy, confessional lyrics. In fact, if you were to judge SWAG solely on how messy it is, the album’s practically a damn masterpiece.

On tracks like “Glory Voice Memo” and “Butterflies,” Bieber spills the beans, while I snack on popcorn and listen for status updates on his tumultuous marriage to model and skincare CEO Hailey Bieber and his tumultuous split from former manager Scooter Braun. There are plenty of both, by the way. Throughout SWAG, Bieber leans into the drama, offering a look inside his life behind the headlines. Because what else is a singer caught up in his feelings supposed to do other than sing about being caught up in his feelings? Deal with them in a safe, private space like therapy? Don’t be silly.

Here are three takeaways from SWAG’s most revealing lyrics about Bieber’s personal life.

Rumors have been swirling for months about the state of the Biebers’ marriage, with fans and the media speculating that the pair might be teetering toward divorce. Hailey herself addressed the allegations in her recent Vogue cover story, saying in no uncertain terms that the couple was still together and that she didn’t appreciate the rumors. But in case that wasn’t loud enough for the people in the back, Bieber doubled down on their love on the track “Walking Away,” where he sings about sticking with his wife through the tough times: “You were my diamond / Gave you a ring / I made you a promise / I told you I’d change / It’s just human nature / These growing pains / And baby, I ain’t walking away.” He also calls his wife “iconic” on “Go Baby” and shouts out her lip-gloss-holding phone case. Would a husband with one foot out the door do free promo for his wife’s skincare line? I think not.

Look, Bieber isn’t the only one who’s ever gone through some shit. We all have, and luckily, most of us got to do it in private. That hasn’t been a privilege afforded to Bieber, who once had a monkey confiscated by German authorities, since he became famous at eleven years old. And having to go through growing pains in public? It's rough, says Bieber in one of three taped conversations with comedian Druski. People openly speculating about his mental health takes a toll on the singer.

“It starts to make me feel like I’m the one with issues and everyone else is perfect,” Bieber says on “Therapy Session.” Obviously, nobody is perfect. At least Bieber has his wits about him enough to politely decline a Black & Mild from Druski, who insists it’ll clear his mind. Readers, I have smoked a Black & Mild. It gave me such a bad head rush while driving that I had to pull over. It did not clear my mind.

You know all those eyebrow-raising social media posts Bieber keeps making? Like the series of emojis he posted after writing, then deleting, a strange Instagram comment regarding his wife’s first Vogue cover? Or how about his viral confrontations with the paparazzi? Take the incident where he scolded a photographer for failing to “clock” that he was “standing on business,” which, of course, immediately became a meme.

Don’t worry, guys. It’s all just Bieber trolling the media, “enjoyin' social media like the fuckin' rest of us, just doin' it his own way," according to Druski. Bieber even named one of his tracks “Standing on Business” after the paparazzi incident and went so far as to include the original audio, alongside commentary on the specific way he pronounces the word “business.”

Repurposing your viral paparazzi incident for content on your album that you know will have people talking and create countless articles speculating about your intentions, including the very one you’re reading right now? Maybe he really is trolling us.