Justin Bieber surprised fans on Friday with the release of his new album Swag. A day later, the global Spotify charts were filled with his music. Critics are far from united in their opinions of the Canadian pop star’s new work.
De Volkskrant – 2 stars
“Only two tracks are convincing throughout. Go Baby is a dragging ballad that does rise to a higher level. And after a lot of professional mediocrity, you are pleasantly surprised by the small-scale rapture of Devotion. With now suddenly well-thought-out, almost gospel-like choirs, Bieber finally manages to convince you that he is not just singing about feelings, but actually feels them. A meager consolation for all that floundering in lukewarm, seriously diluted r&b bathwater. That just makes you limp and wrinkly.”
The Guardian – 3 stars
“It’s all thoughtful, cleverly nostalgic and subtly satisfying. There isn’t a lazy hit to be found. But the lyrics on Swag aren’t so tasteful and considered. Dadz Love is a nonsensical celebration of fatherhood that keeps repeating the title until it means nothing. The other love songs directed at his wife Hailey, whose viral lip gloss holder phone case gets a mention on Go Baby, are mostly shallow, saccharine clichés. But they’re still better than the spoken bits, which are tear-jerkingly bad.”
Rolling Stone – 4 stars
“If Bieber wants to respond to the speculation about whether he’s doing well, he couldn’t have done better than on Swag. Bieber is at his most confident in terms of musical energy. Serious question: has he ever made a song as appealing as Butterflies? It’s so heartfelt, melodic, exuberant, with a bittersweet r&b sound. On Swag, Bieber isn’t just trying to show that he’s okay. He wants to outdo himself.”
Independent – 2 stars
“Where Bieber stands exactly is unclear. We get the feeling he’s sorry, but for what? We get the feeling that his marriage to Hailey Bieber sometimes falters, but is generally stable. He seems rather horny, but mostly horny for Jesus.”
“Maybe it doesn’t all matter. If you’ve been a Belieber (as Bieber’s fans call themselves) for a long time, you’re familiar with the changes in tone in his work. But for non-fans, Bieber seems more of a curiosity than a coherent, creative force. Swag won’t change that image much.”
Variety – no stars given
“This album may just be the prelude to a more traditional pop album that he is rumored to be working on. More than a decade after his debut, he continues to search for artistic greatness. He doesn’t achieve that yet on Swag, but he does push his musical boundaries. It makes for a messier, more challenging album, which is mostly very intriguing.”