Justin Bieber released a new album, "Swag," on Friday, surprising fans with his seventh studio album hours after he teased it on billboards and social media posts. "Swag" is his first album since becoming a father last year, and his first since "Justice ...

Every half-decade or so, Justin Bieber sloughs off the callused skin of the pop superstar he became at age 15 to reveal the tender and quirky R&B singer he’s always been at heart. He did it in 2013 with his album “Journals,” then in 2020 with “Changes.”

Justin Bieber addressed his instantly memed paparazzi moment on his new album 'Swag,' as well as sings about his devotion to wife Hailey and son Jack.

Those estimates would yield a respectable debut, particularly given that Swag ’s week one numbers likely won’t include any physical sales. Justice, Bieber’s next-most-recent album, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard chart back in 2021 with 154,000 equivalent units, including 30,000 physical sales.

He] doesn’t particularly handle [fame] well,” a source close to he singer told Page Six, suggesting personal demons haunt the pop star and his young family.

Meanwhile, radio show 6PR Perth teased a tour in Australia, with hosts Millsy and Karl saying "rumor has it that with the release of his new album SWAG, pop icon Justin Bieber will announce an Australian tour… he will make his way to Perth."

Cobain delivered one of the best features on Bieber’s latest album, released on July 11, the highest-profile moment in the rapper’s career so far, with Cobain taking the opening verse on Swag’s title track.

The emotional takeaway is simple but striking: “SWAG” isn’t trying to impress — it’s trying to feel. It’s Bieber testing the limits of subtlety, of softness and of sound. And while it won’t be for everyone, that’s exactly why it needed to be released. It’s a quiet risk. But it’s one that lands.

This week, I take a look at the surprisingly strong state of Google, Meta gets a new chief AI researcher, and more. If you haven’t already, be sure to check out this week’s Decoder episode about deepfakes and where they are headed.