Justin Bieber claims to have regained his “Swag” with his new album, but sources warn he may not have as much braggadocio as he makes out.
Despite the surprise new album, released July 11, and accompanying photoshoot of Justin Bieber, his wife Hailey and their 11-month-old son Jack Blues dripping with attitude, sources say below the surface things may not be as smooth as he makes out.
They point to fights with paparazzi, apparent bickering between the spouses online, Bieber’s erratic behavior and fears he could spiral back into drugs in the months before the album’s release.
“[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.
“Imagine being 14 and famous and people either love you for no reason just because you’re who you are, or they hate you? There’s not a lot of in between. A lot of people wouldn’t deal well with that to begin with. It breaks a lot of people. I’m concerned about him,” the source close to Justin said.
A second source, a celebrity insider, told Page Six, “He still has underlying issues.”
Four years on from his last album, “Justice,” and crashing out of a world tour with health concerns in 2022, new father Bieber seems to have mellowed on his new album.
The 31-year-old “All I Can Take” singer even includes three different skits with comedian Druski, including one called “therapy sessions” where they discuss his public image.
“What’s been a tough thing for me recently, is feeling like I have had to go through a lot of my struggles as a human, as all of us do, really publicly,” he says in the skit where Druski plays his ‘counselor’.
“And so people are always asking if I’m OK, and that starts to really weigh on me. It starts to make me feel like I’m the one with the issues and everyone else is perfect.”
The source familiar with Justin told Page Sixhis social media posts leading up to the album drop match up with him feeling a little lost and lashing out.
“If you have a friend and they’re posting [like that] – I can tell he’s angry just by looking at his posts.
“He has mood swings – he’s kind of an extreme personality in that sense,” the source said.
He also addresses marital issues with Hailey, who he married in 2018, on the album. In the song, “Walking Away,” Bieber sings: “Days go by so fast, don’t wanna spend them with you / So tell me why you’re throwing stones at my back / You know I’m defenseless.
“Girl, we better stop before we say some s-–t / We’ve been testing our patience / I think we better off if we just take a break.”
The pair have been careful about sheltering Jack Blues from the public eye, leaving some puzzled by Justin’s decision to include him in the album art, albeit hiding his face – especially given how Bieber has been open about being exposed to too much, too young previously.
“He obviously wants to protect his kid. But it’s like ‘Oh we want privacy’ then they put the kid on album covers and books,” the celebrity insider told Page Six.
One of the biggest changes of Bieber’s entire career has happened since his last album when he parted ways with manager Scooter Braun in 2023, leaving behind the man who took him from a teenage YouTube busker in Ontario, Canada, to global phenomenon.
Braun, who has since retired from management, has been full of praise for the singer’s seventh studio album as “the most authentically Justin Bieber album to date.”
“He poured his soul into this project, and you can feel it in every single run,” Braun wrote on social media, noting he played no role in the album and encouraging others to “stream ‘Swag’ and support an authentic voice.”
Bieber’s relationship with Braun was rumored to be strained after it emerged he owed a settlement of $31 million to him, after he bailed him out from having to pay back debt accumulated from the canceled 2022 “Justice” tour.
The singer canceled the tour after developing facial paralysis from Ramsay Hunt syndrome. On July 10, he and Braun reached a settlement agreement to pay back the money owed to Braun’s Hybe company, TMZ reported.
Neither Bieber or Braun returned Page Six’s request for comment.
Meanwhile, the family’s finances are in great shape thanks to Hailey’s Rhode beauty brand, which struck a $1 billion deal with e.l.f. Cosmetics, including $800m in cash upfront and a further $200 as the brand develops, according to multiple sources.
Although Hailey denied helping with her husband’s settlement, with a source telling the Daily Mail, Rhode is “completely separate from her husband and his business affairs.”
Sources say it’s unclear if Bieber will actually tour in support of the new album, amid the global expansion of Hailey’s beauty company, which saw them take a whirlwind trip to Europe right after “Swag” was released – usually a critical time for artists to promote their releases.
The whole family were spotted in Mallorca, Spain, where Rhode had a pop-up-shop and then in Switzerland and Italy.
Those close to him, feel Bieber should take the stage again – as its one of the places he gets to feel most validated.
“He needs to perform,” the celebrity insider said.
“What is his game plan? He’s going to have to figure out what’s next, unless he wants to be a stay-at-home dad while his wife is running her billion-dollar company,” the celebrity insider said.
Hailey, for her part, had some fun with the release sharing a photo repost on social media of a billboard promoting the album, captioned “Is it finally clocking to you f–king losers?” — a quoting a line from Justin’s recent viral rant at the paparazzi.
The first source said Justin at least has the solid ground around him as he navigates the demands of fame and family together.
“It breaks a lot of people. You have to have a very strong support system.”
