Just two months after releasing his seventh studio album, “SWAG,” Justin Bieber returned with its sequel, “SWAG II,” on Friday, Sept. 5. Rather than developing the R&B style he built in the first record, Bieber shifts towards mid-tempo songs that harbor a more confessional tone. With 44 tracks spread over two discs, the album feels less like a cohesive project and more like a patchwork of unfinished ideas. At a duration of 131 minutes, the themes and melodies in the album blur long before the halfway mark, making its listening experience exhausting instead of immersive.

For much of its runtime, the album leans heavily on its mellow tone and repetitive songwriting. Acoustic ballads such as “I DO” and “DEVOTION” are a pleasant listen, but quickly fades into background noise, as Bieber relies on the same guitar strum and vocals without adding any dynamic shifts or new rhythms. Instead of using the album’s length to experiment with new themes, melodies and lyrics, Bieber circles back to the same whispery delivery, dulling the songs that could have had an emotional punch. Mid-album tracks like “WITCHYA” and “DAISIES” suggest a throwback to his 2011 peak in pop music with their upbeat choruses and flirtatious hooks, but lack the energy and joy that drove his hits at the time. With no sharp production choices, these throwback tracks sound more like an attempt to capture nostalgia and less like a reinvention. Even the wobbly electronic outro of “OH MAN” showcases the bold production choices made by Bieber, but sets listeners up for disappointment as the rest of the album fails to fully commit those decisions.

The lyrics mirror the production problems present in the record. On “PETTING ZOO,” Bieber sings, “I told you that you f—n’ with a man / Yeah, I told you I don’t play that s—t, no cap,” describing an internal ego conflict, erasing any potential charm the title suggests with its lyrics. “BAD HONEY” offers a heartfelt sentiment in lines like “And if you’re mad, honey, won’t you say something to me? / We could dance, honey, we could make this a scene, babe,” but it is buried under a bland beat that never develops, losing its chance to be an impactful song. “SAFE SPACE” and “NEED IT” are some more examples of filler tracks on the album that drift mutedly over in the album. 

By contrast, the album possesses some moments of clarity. In “MOTHER IN YOU,” Bieber reflects while singing, “You opened your eyes / That was when I knew / That, oh, it would change me,” a sentiment which could have had a deeper exploration on fatherhood and marriage, but is left awkwardly phrased with no unique melody. On “LYIN,” lyrics like “You just leave me dyin’ / Can’t you see me cryin’ / Hate it when we fightin’,” come close to revealing his vulnerabilities, but are buried under stiff drum beats and heavy pitch correction, making the confession sound more like parody than pain. These moments show what “SWAG II” could have been if Bieber had edited the melodies to present his emotional lyrics and arranged his work enough to let those feelings land and not wander around making no sense to the listener.

The album’s abrupt shifts in genre mid-album make Bieber’s message even more unclear. “POPPIN MY S—T,” a two minute rap with lazy lyrics and plodding drums, sticks out awkwardly between acoustic love songs. This is the same for “SWEET SPOT” featuring Sexyy Red; while it does follow the acoustic rhythm present throughout the album, its lyrics suggest otherwise by adding a more vulgar tone. “EVERYTHING HALLELUJAH” and “STORY OF GOD” pivot to religious imagery, clashing with the album’s romantic tone. By the end of this jumbled mixtape, the album isn’t left to expand in any theme, leaving the listener wondering what “SWAG II” is actually supposed to be.

That isn’t to say “SWAG II” is completely devoid of any swag. The opening track, “SPEED DEMON,” sets a promising tone for the rest of the album with a looping guitar riff and low, shuffling percussion that builds tension without overdoing it. Another standout, “DONT WANNA” featuring Bakar, begins with a sparse beat, but gradually builds into one of the record’s most dynamic tracks with its layered synths, harmonies and Bakar’s textured verse. Other tracks like “MOVING FAST” also clicks with listeners because the slow rhythm mirrors the theme of moving forward. Tems’ feature on “I THINK YOU’RE SPECIAL” elevate the track by adding warmth and urgency through his harmonies, that Bieber’s vocals couldn’t match, giving the track an emotional lift. These tracks combined give a hint at how “SWAG II” could have had a confident and genre-blending take if more tracks had been given the same structure and attention on them. 

Had Bieber spent more time on refining the songs and curating “SWAG II” into a more cohesive project during its production, the album could have been a success. Instead, the record is an inconsistent project with scattered themes and songs with underdeveloped ideas that occasionally glimmer but ultimately drift with an unclear message.

RATING: 1.5/5