Justin Bieber’s surprise drop, SWAG, had a massive opening. Announced on July 10, and released the next day, the album charted 163,000 units and started out with about 200 million streams. The project started its life at number two behind Travis Scott’s chart-topping JackBoys 2. While some could say SWAG was a failure because it’s the first time a Bieber album hasn’t started at number one, its impact may outweigh the sales. Bieber has a new sound. And when Bieber releases, people listen.
The release was last-minute, with the announcement dropping just one day before the album’s release. Why? No one knows. While there is speculation that the hasty rollout was to take attention away from Clipse’s album release after the duo’s fallout with Universal Music Group, it doesn’t make sense that the label would release on the same weekend as Travis Scott and the 15-year reunion of Clipse. The timing didn’t seem right.
The seemingly rushed timing is apparent in the sound — the album seems unfinished. The first half is strong: “DAISIES,” “YUKON” and “THINGS YOU DO” were all highlights stemming from the fresh production and catchiness of the tracks, but they were only three of the first five songs of the album. As the project progresses, it just falls apart. The strong production of the early tracks fizzles out, Bieber’s lyricism loses its charm and the tracks’ momentum is frequently killed by Druski skits that don’t contribute to the sound or themes whatsoever.
Later in the album, there were brief moments of light for the project, such as Sexyy Red’s verse on “SWEET SPOT,” Dijon and Daniel Caesar’s production on “DEVOTION” and the sample of his viral “STANDING ON BUSINESS” clip, but these are few and far between as the album goes on.
Despite the scattered highpoints, the production was frequently one of the only reasons to listen, and the numbers show. Mk.gee-produced “DAISIES” went number one in multiple countries with its guitar-forward melodic alt-pop. Dijon contributed the soulful guitars like those present on “DEVOTION” and nearly doubled his monthly Spotify listeners — all because of SWAG blasting this sound to the mainstream.
Aside from the instrumentals, the lyrical content throughout the album is lacking. The breakout hit “DAISIES” had easily relatable, safe lyrics for a love song. Aside from that, it felt like warm but generic love songs throughout. A lot of R&B thrives in truly lived melodic memories, and it was clear Bieber didn’t have any. It is an album in a genre of full authenticity, and in this world, Bieber is fake.
Even though the album lacks in quality, Bieber’s following might make up for it. Although the album wasn’t critically well-received, it introduced a new sound to mainstream audiences. While the albums are nothing alike, it’s similar to the situation surrounding Drake’s 2022 album Honestly, Nevermind. It was a completely different sound, and it wasn’t well received, but, because of Drake’s enormous following, Honestly, Nevermind introduced tens of thousands of people to house music.
House music had been huge among groups for decades before Drake’s attempt at the genre, but Drake’s enormous fan base enabled him to bring the genre to a whole new demographic. Bieber can’t compete with Drake’s exposure or stardom in 2025, but he may have put thousands of his fans onto a new genre that has been bubbling under the surface for much of the 2020s — indie R&B.
While Bieber’s new sound is hard to pinpoint, I’m calling it indie R&B. I think of indie R&B as a new branch of the classic genre, blending bedroom pop elements with guitar-forward instrumental — a blend of alt pop and soul. While his attempt was a solid effort, artists like Dijon, Givēon, Mk.gee and even Daniel Caesar have done the sound much better than SWAG. It’s a newer kind of R&B, one that sticks close to the usual topics of love and relationships, and leans heavier on the use of guitars rather than the use of vocal tones and pianos to convey emotion. In indie R&B, guitars guide the rhythm. “DAISIES” off of Bieber’s new project is a perfect example. Some other examples include “Anabell” by Mk.gee and “Heartbreak Anniversary” by Givēon.
Artists with this sound are massive among their circles, but there hasn’t been a true breakthrough into the mainstream audience. “Heartbreak Anniversary,” “Peaches,” a few songs from Daniel Caesar’s CASE STUDY 01 and other projects are a few of the closest attempts at breaking through, but even their life spans were cut short by other sounds after their release.
Is there any hope for this experimental R&B to reach further than the following of individual artists? The answer is yes. R&B’s popularity peaked in the early 2000s, and the genre hasn’t had a reinvention since it was overtaken by rap as the mainstream genre. The sounds on SWAG put out the distinctive sound of the genre to a whole new audience, and while Bieber’s album lacks some lyrical substance and execution, it could still spark curiosity for many to seek out similar music.
This is where the artists in the genre come in. All of the musicians in indie R&B have incredible energy, and if people liked what Bieber introduced them to, they’re bound to love the music of Mk.gee, Dijon and Givēon.
Music hasn’t had a true most popular genre since the pop summer of 2024, and with fall and winter approaching, it’s the perfect time for the slower, more delicate sounds of indie R&B to rise in popularity. SWAG may not have redefined the R&B sound, but it did open the doors for others. If indie R&B is going to break into the mainstream, the time may be now.
Daily Arts Writer Nick Holcomb can be reached at nickholc@umich.edu.
