Justin Bieber Talks About Viral Paparazzi Moments in New Album “Swag”
Justin Bieber opens up about his recent viral moments with the paparazzi and delves into his mental health in his new album Swag.
The 31-year-old artist released his eighth studio album at midnight on Friday, July 11, with minimal notice. The announcement only emerged on Thursday, July 10, when billboards in Reykjavík, New York, Atlanta, and Los Angeles heralded Bieber’s comeback.
The 21-track Swag showcases a blend of lo-fi R&B-inspired pop songs and voice notes that reflect on fame, mental health, and love. Bieber addresses his cryptic social media posts from recent months, incorporating audio clips from his notable encounters with paparazzi to comment on public perception.
He croons, “Baby, I ain’t walking away / 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.”
Scroll down for more on Bieber’s latest album:
Justin Bieber Is ‘Standing on Business’
Just a month after his viral June 13 run-in with the paparazzi, Bieber is leveraging his now-famous remarks for his benefit.
The album features a 50-second voice note titled “Standing on Business,” which begins with Bieber stating, “You’re not getting it. It’s not clocking to you. It’s not clocking to you that I’m standing on business, is it?”
This clip transitions into a playful exchange with comedian Druski, who teases Bieber about his pronunciation during the conversation.
“I like that you pronounce business,” Druski tells Bieber. “I say, ‘Standing on bid-ness.’ I don’t say, ‘Standing on business, bro.’ … You were pronounciating [sic] every word. You can’t pronunciate [sic] every word when you doing that!”
Bieber concedes, “Yeah, you’re right, you’re right.”
Bieber Addresses the Paparazzi?
The singer touches on the burdens of fame, including being closely followed by paparazzi, in the song “Butterflies.”
The track opens with a more recent encounter with photographers outside a Palm Springs coffee shop in April. “[You] want money, money, money, money … get out of here,” he can be heard stating. “All you want is money. Go. Get out of here. All you guys want is money. You don’t care about people. Only money.”
Justin Bieber’s social media presence has raised concerns among fans. In January, he sparked anxiety among followers when he unfollowed his wife, Hailey, on Instagram. Hours later, he clarified that it wasn’t his decision to stop following her. “Someone went on my […]”
The audio clip leads into a soothing melody where Bieber seems to discuss how the paparazzi treat him as a commodity, clouding his enjoyment of his career. He sings, “Butterflies, they seem to go away.” He expresses feelings of being “moving, and moving, and moving, I’m just slipping away.”
Bieber’s ‘Therapy Session’
In another brief chat with Druski titled “Therapy Session,” Bieber appears to reflect on his cryptic social media posts, with Druski suggesting that the singer is merely playing around with his fans.
“Even sometimes when I know you’re trolling, and they don’t even understand it. They’re like, ‘Oh, my God, he’s f***ing losing his mind!’ It’s like, nah, I think he’s just being a human being,” Druski explains. “He’s just enjoying social media like the f***ing rest of us. He’s just doing it his own way.”
Bieber shares his struggles with mental health, which he has openly discussed before.
UPDATE — 4/1/25, 11:08 a.m. ET: Hailey Bieber addressed rumors about unfollowing her husband Justin on Instagram after fans noted his name was seemingly missing from her “following” list. “It’s a glitch. Didn’t unfollow him. Hope this helps!” she commented on TikTok.
“That’s been a tough thing for me recently, is feeling like I’ve had to navigate a lot of my struggles as a human — as we all do — in a very public way,” he tells Druski.
“People are constantly asking if I’m OK, and it starts to weigh on me. It makes me feel like I’m the one with issues while everyone else is fine,” he adds, highlighting his human imperfections.
Through these reflections, Bieber is likely seeking the same understanding that society often extends to others sharing their difficulties online.
