Justin Bieber attends The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute benefit gala on Sept. 13, 2021, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File)
Canadian superstar Justin Bieber released his seventh album, Swag, on Friday just hours after sharing a sneak peek of it on social media.
Comprising 21 tracks totaling 54 minutes, the project marks the return of the 31-year-old singer more than three years after his last single, Honest, a duet with Don Toliver.
His previous album, Justice, was released in 2021.
Bieber has collaborated with US rappers Gunna, Lil B, and Cash Cobain, among others, on this seventh album.
He posted a video on his Instagram account on Thursday showing the tracklist for Swag on a large screen in Times Square in New York City.
Posters also appeared this week in Reykjavik, Iceland, where US media said Bieber finalized the album in April.
Bieber's comeback follows a period marked by the singer's withdrawal from media.
His fans, known as the "Beliebers", had been hoping for a new album for several months.
In 2022, Bieber was forced to cancel the remainder of his world tour – 82 of 131 scheduled concerts – after revealing he suffered from Ramsay Hunt syndrome, a neurological disorder that partially paralyzed his face.
The hashtag #SWAGOUTNOW was among the top global trends on X a few hours after the album's release, underscoring the excitement of his fans.
Bieber rose to prominence in 2010 at just 15 years old with the global hit "Baby," becoming a teen pop star before turning to R&B.
In August 2024, the singer and his wife Hailey Bieber announced the birth of their first child, Jack Blues. – AFP
