Listen. I’m generally immune to Bieber Fever, but today, I fear my temperature’s metaphorically creeping up to maybe 99 or 100 degrees. I’ll admit it! Justin Bieber’s surprise album, Swag, is a solid album. A mostly good album, even. Given his recent erratic Instagram behavior, I really wasn’t sure what to expect from this new music. Candidly, I was preparing myself for a total sonic shit show when the clock struck midnight and Swag appeared on Spotify. But on this comeback record, Justin’s vocals are velvety as always, he leans into that pop x R&B sweet spot, and he gets raw and honest in these lyrics. The 21 tracks seem to address everything from his rumored marriage troubles with Hailey, to the relentless backlash she faces, to his own mental health struggles, and those recent viral paparazzi moments. (Yes, “It’s not clocking to you that I’m standing on business” made it into the album, somehow.) Obviously we need to break down the Swag lyrics, stat! Here’s what Justin Bieber’s Swag album reveals about his Hailey marriage issues, mental health, and more.
Justin Bieber Swag Lyrics: Marriage Issues, Hailey’s Haters, Mental Health
Which Swag Songs Are About Hailey Bieber? “Daisies,” “Walking Away,” “Go Baby” Lyrics
It seems like “Daisies,” “Walking Away,” and “Go Baby” are all reflections on Justin’s relationship with Hailey. In both “Daisies” and “Walking Away,” he appears to sing about the challenges they’ve faced as a couple. Justin questions the strength of their bond in “Daisies,” singing, “Throwin’ petals like, “Do you love me or not? / Head is spinnin’, and it don’t know when to stop / You said “Forever,” babe, did you mean it or not?”
In “Walking Away,” Justin sings about arguments with his wife and his commitment to working through conflicts. “And, girl, we better stop before we say some shit / We’ve been testing our patience,” he croons. “I think we better off if we just take a break / And remember what grace is.” In the chorus, Justin reassures her: “Baby, I ain’t walking away / You were my diamond / Gave you a ring.” He reveals that he promised to change and calls their relationship struggles “growing pains.”
These lyrics comes after many months (or years… IDK, I’ve lost track) of nonstop Hailey and Justin divorce rumors. Unfortunately, Justin added fuel to the fire when he reposted Hailey’s recent Vogue cover and made a very strange comment about it. “Yo this reminds me when Hailey and I got into a huge fight,” he wrote in a since-deleted caption. “I told hails that she would never be on the cover of vogue.” Justin said he felt “disrespected” at the time. “So baby u already know but forgive me for saying u wouldn’t get a vogue cover cuz clearly i was sadly mistaken,” he added.
In Hailey’s Vogue interview, she opened up about the rumors. “It is such a mindfuck,” she said. “I cannot even begin to explain it. It’s a crazy life to live.” The Rhode Founder added, “I thought seven years in it would’ve already [died down], and it hasn’t. You would think after having a child, people would maybe move on, chill out a little bit, but no. So I guess these bitches are going to be mad.”
In “Go Baby,” Justin seems to address Hailey’s haters and the constant backlash she gets online. “That’s my baby, she’s iconic, iPhone case, lip gloss on it,” he sings, referencing her Rhode lip case. “And, oh my days, she keeps ’em talkin’, it’s comedy, just block it, oh, my baby.” In the chorus, he offers, “Cry on my shoulder whenever you need it.”
Which Swag Songs Are About Justin’s Mental Health? “Therapy Session” And “Butterflies” Lyrics
Justin speaks about his Instagram activity and fans’ concerns over his mental health in “Therapy Session,” which is a vulnerable conversation with comedian and actor Druski. “Even sometimes where I know you’re trollin’ (Yeah) and they don’t even understand it, like, ‘Oh my God, he’s fuckin’ losin’ his mind,'” Druski says. Justin agrees and shares, “That’s been a tough thing for me recently. Feelin’ like, you know, I have had to go through a lot of my struggles as a human… really publicly. And so people are always askin’ if I’m okay and that starts to really weigh on mе.”
He adds, “It starts to make me feel like I’m the one with issues and everyone else is perfect.”
In “Butterflies,” Justin includes a snippet of one of his viral paparazzi confrontations (“You just want money! Money money money money!”) and seems to sing about his experience with paps. “Butterflies, go away,” he pleads. “I’m just moving, and moving, and moving, and moving, I’m slippin’ away.”
A powerful comeback indeed.
