Justin Bieber releases 'Swag,' his long-awaited seventh album
It is his first album since 2021's "Justice' and his first since becoming a father last year.
"Inspired by his devotion as a husband and father, this new era of music has fueled a deeper perspective and more reflective sound, resulting in some of his most personal music yet,' Def Jam Recordings said of the 21-track album.
Billboards depicting Bieber were found by fans Thursday in Reykjavik, Iceland, and Los Angeles. The singer also shared images of billboards on his official Instagram account along with a tracklist that included song names like "All I Can Take,' "Walking Away,' "Dadz Love' and "Forgiveness.'
There's a lot to love across the 21-tracks of the intimate "Swag.' Here are a few choice cuts.
1. "Daises' - The second track on the album may very well be its strongest; an exemplar in Bieber's slow-burn brand of alternative R&B-pop, now anchored with lo-fi guitar. Here, his sweet voice is pronounced - exactly what his most dedicated fans want to hear.
2. "Devotion' ft. Dijon - Dijon is a rising R&B voice; some fans might be familiar with his 2021 debut album "Absolutely' or his contribution to Bon Iver's
"SABLE, fABLE" from earlier this year. He makes for a standout collaboration on "Swag,' a sweet song about deepening affection.
3. "Go Baby' - Bieber married the model Hailey Bieber (nee Baldwin) in 2018; she's long been source material for his most loving tracks. "Go Baby' is a standout for that reason. "That's my baby, she's iconic," he opens the track, "iPhone case, lip gloss on it,' referencing her Rhode skincare and beauty brand, which sold to Elf Beauty in a $1 billion deal.
4. "Walking Away' - Marriage isn't easy; that's clear on "Walking Away,' a slightly more uptempo track where Bieber makes his dedication evident. It's the perfect song for dancing in the kitchen with your partner.
5. "All I Can Take' - The throwback opener "All I Can Take' has a vintage groove - echoes of Bieber's early work, now matured to reflect his current adult reality. He sounds as sweet as ever in the pre-chorus, his declaration of "Ooh, baby, don't it feel good? Baby, don't it feel nice? / Ooh, baby, don't it feel good? You don't have to think twice.'
Bieber, the two-time Grammy Award-winning singer and Canadian pop idol who revolutionized teen pop and social media fame, is best known for his silky R&B pop lyric tenor, demonstrated on the diamond-selling "Baby,' "Sorry,' and "Stay' with the Kid Laroi. At the beginning of his career, and as a tween, Bieber began working with Usher and the influential music manager Scooter Braun.
In 2023, Bieber sold the rights to his music - all six of his albums, including hits like "Sorry' and "Baby' - to Hipgnosis, a U.K.-based music investment company. The deal's financial details were not disclosed, but Billboard Magazine reports that the sale was worth an estimated $200 million.
In August 2024, Justin and Hailey Bieber announced the birth of their first child, Jack Blues Bieber.
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Arab Times
a day ago
- Arab Times
Justin Bieber releases 'Swag,' his long-awaited seventh album
NEW YORK, July 12, (AP): Never say never! Justin Bieber surprised fans Friday by releasing "Swag,' his seventh studio album, hours after he teased it on billboards and social media posts. It is his first album since 2021's "Justice' and his first since becoming a father last year. "Inspired by his devotion as a husband and father, this new era of music has fueled a deeper perspective and more reflective sound, resulting in some of his most personal music yet,' Def Jam Recordings said of the 21-track album. Billboards depicting Bieber were found by fans Thursday in Reykjavik, Iceland, and Los Angeles. The singer also shared images of billboards on his official Instagram account along with a tracklist that included song names like "All I Can Take,' "Walking Away,' "Dadz Love' and "Forgiveness.' There's a lot to love across the 21-tracks of the intimate "Swag.' Here are a few choice cuts. 1. "Daises' - The second track on the album may very well be its strongest; an exemplar in Bieber's slow-burn brand of alternative R&B-pop, now anchored with lo-fi guitar. Here, his sweet voice is pronounced - exactly what his most dedicated fans want to hear. 2. "Devotion' ft. Dijon - Dijon is a rising R&B voice; some fans might be familiar with his 2021 debut album "Absolutely' or his contribution to Bon Iver's "SABLE, fABLE" from earlier this year. He makes for a standout collaboration on "Swag,' a sweet song about deepening affection. 3. "Go Baby' - Bieber married the model Hailey Bieber (nee Baldwin) in 2018; she's long been source material for his most loving tracks. "Go Baby' is a standout for that reason. "That's my baby, she's iconic," he opens the track, "iPhone case, lip gloss on it,' referencing her Rhode skincare and beauty brand, which sold to Elf Beauty in a $1 billion deal. 4. "Walking Away' - Marriage isn't easy; that's clear on "Walking Away,' a slightly more uptempo track where Bieber makes his dedication evident. It's the perfect song for dancing in the kitchen with your partner. 5. "All I Can Take' - The throwback opener "All I Can Take' has a vintage groove - echoes of Bieber's early work, now matured to reflect his current adult reality. He sounds as sweet as ever in the pre-chorus, his declaration of "Ooh, baby, don't it feel good? Baby, don't it feel nice? / Ooh, baby, don't it feel good? You don't have to think twice.' Bieber, the two-time Grammy Award-winning singer and Canadian pop idol who revolutionized teen pop and social media fame, is best known for his silky R&B pop lyric tenor, demonstrated on the diamond-selling "Baby,' "Sorry,' and "Stay' with the Kid Laroi. At the beginning of his career, and as a tween, Bieber began working with Usher and the influential music manager Scooter Braun. In 2023, Bieber sold the rights to his music - all six of his albums, including hits like "Sorry' and "Baby' - to Hipgnosis, a U.K.-based music investment company. The deal's financial details were not disclosed, but Billboard Magazine reports that the sale was worth an estimated $200 million. In August 2024, Justin and Hailey Bieber announced the birth of their first child, Jack Blues Bieber.
Arab Times
a day ago
- Arab Times
'The Salt Path' is a book that captured the hearts of millions. Now it's mired in controversy
LONDON, July 12, (AP): "The Salt Path' is a memoir of resilience and courage that captured the hearts of millions and was subsequently adapted for the big screen, with actors Gillian Anderson and Jason Isaacs taking the lead roles. But now, the book and the film are mired in a controversy that could see them suffer that very modern phenomenon - being canceled. On Friday, publisher Penguin Michael Joseph agreed with author Raynor Winn to delay the publication of her next book, "On Winter Hill" from this October after "intrusive conjecture' about her husband's health. The delay is the latest blowback from a bombshell report in Sunday's The Observer newspaper in the United Kingdom that claimed there was more to the 2018 book than met the eye - that key elements of the story had been fabricated. Author Raynor Winn stands accused of betraying the trust of her readers and of reaping a windfall on the back of lies. Winn accepts "mistakes' were made, but that the overarching allegations were "highly misleading.' She has sought legal counsel. Winn's book tells how she and her husband of 32 years, Moth Winn - a well-to-do couple - made the impulsive decision to walk the rugged 630 miles (around 1,000 kilometers) of the South West Coast Path in the southwest of England after losing their house because of a bad business investment. Broke and homeless, the memoir relays how the couple achieved spiritual renewal during their trek, which lasted several months and which saw them carry essentials and a tent on their back. The book also recounts how Moth Winn was diagnosed with the extremely rare and incurable neurological condition, corticobasal degeneration, or CBD, and how his symptoms had abated following the walk. It sold 2 million copies, became a regular read at book clubs, spawned two sequels and the film adaptation, which was released this spring, to generally positive reviews. On its website, publisher Penguin described the book as "an unflinchingly honest, inspiring and life-affirming true story of coming to terms with grief and the healing power of the natural world. Ultimately, it is a portrayal of home, and how it can be lost, rebuilt, and rediscovered in the most unexpected ways.' That statement was released before the controversy that erupted last Sunday. In a wide-ranging investigation, The Observer said that it found a series of fabrications in Raynor Winn's tale. It said the couple's legal names are Sally and Timothy Walker, and that Winn misrepresented the events that led to the couple losing their home. The newspaper said that the couple lost their home following accusations that Winn had stolen tens of thousands of pounds from her employer. It also said that the couple had owned a house in France since 2007, meaning that they weren't homeless. And perhaps more damaging, the newspaper said that it had spoken to medical experts who were skeptical about Moth having CBD, given his lack of acute symptoms and his apparent ability to reverse them. The book's ability to engender empathy from its readers relied on their personal circumstances. Without those hooks, it's a very different tale. As a writer of what was represented as a true story, Winn had to attest to her publisher that the book was a fair and honest reflection of what transpired. Any memoir may have omissions or hazy recollections. But making things up is a clear no-no. In the immediate aftermath, Winn made a brief comment on her website about the "highly misleading' accusations and insisted that the book "lays bare the physical and spiritual journey Moth and I shared, an experience that transformed us completely and altered the course of our lives. This is the true story of our journey.' She fleshed out her response on Wednesday, describing the previous few days have been "some of the hardest of my life,' while acknowledging "mistakes' in her business career. She also linked documents appearing to show Moth had been diagnosed with CBD, and described how the accusations that Moth made up his illness have left them "devastated.' After the allegations were published, Penguin said it undertook "the necessary pre-publication due diligence,' and that prior to The Observer story, it hadn't received any concerns about the book's content. It'll be interesting to see how the book's sales and the film's box office receipts are affected by the controversy. Those should start emerging in the coming days. In addition, there are questions now as to whether the film will find a U.S. distributor and whether Winn, in particular, will face compensation claims, potentially even from readers. Winn was meant to be in the western England town of Shrewsbury on Friday on the Saltlines tour, a "words and music collaboration' between her and folk band The Gigspanner Big Band. Her legal team said that Winn is "deeply sorry to let down those who were planning to attend the Saltlines tour, but while this process is ongoing, she will be unable to take part.'
Arab Times
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Jane Birkin's original Hermès bag sells at auction for 7 mln euros
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