Cammy Thomas
On the 17th anniversary of the King of Pop’s passing, lets dive back in to how his legacy and influence have the power to inspire artists from the generations who came after him, and how his music is able to transcend racial and cultural barriers.
Surprise SWAG II
Just as RnB fans were ingratiating ‘SWAG’ into their playlists, with the album becoming a summer soundtrack judging from the Bieber beats punching their way from cars aplenty, forcing themselves into nearby ear drums, Justin Bieber blessed us a mere two months later with a surprise follow up release in September 2025, SWAG II. The pastel pink album cover hinted we were in for sweet treats of lusciousness to the lobes! The album opens with ‘SPEED DEMON’ another subtle nod to Justin Bieber’s adulation of Michael Jackson, as the song shares the same title as MJ’s ‘Speed Demon’ released 1987. Justin has revealed his reverence for the king of pop throughout his nearly 20-year career, as he has titled a number of songs after Michael Jackson’s expansive back catalogue, ‘Butterflies’, ‘Ghost’, ‘Heartbreaker’ and ‘PYD’ ( which is a play on MJ’s PYT), are all intentionally named after the sequined gloved ones songs. Like the opener ‘All I can take’ on ‘SWAG,’ opening track ‘SPEED DEMON’ on ‘SWAG II’ is also peppered with MJ’s signature emphasised hiccups and breaths. The song is a slice of feel good, uplifting, RnB-pop with joyful guitar strums, and shimmering synths. Both opening tracks on both albums scream – Welcome back to the 1980’s!
We’re then met with a slew of sugary sweet RnB love songs dedicated to his wife Hailey Bieber. ‘Better Man’ explores cherished intimate moments, ‘Love Song’ is accompanied by a classic tumbling piano riff with electric guitar funk giving the track an open mic live vibe, as Justin croons “I wanna write you a love song baby, I wanna write you a song that you can’t stop singing to me”, ‘I Do’ is in the same vein as the former, however the guitar wail here is prominent, with highly stylish production as Justin reaffirms his vows to his wife. Standout track amongst Justin’s lyrical love letters to wifey portion of the album is the song ‘Mother in You’, a heartfelt outpouring of gratitude for Hailey’s natural nurturing sensibilities of their baby boy, Jack. It’s a beautiful serenade of how Justin sees both himself and his wife reflected back to him when he gazes at baby Jack – “And I remember the moment at 2 in the morning I saw my reflection in you, and you looked right through me, like you really knew me, so much of her coming through”. Justin’s proud papa moment certainly tugs at the heartstrings. ‘Witchya’ continues the celebration of family values as Justin coos over a country twang guitar, as images surface of him sitting in a cornfield gently strumming his guitar singing directly to his family with pride. Other low key romantic RnB jams resplendent with a mix of Justin’s flawless falsetto and velvety vocals are ‘I think you’re special’, ‘Need It, ‘All the way’, ‘Open up your heart’, and ‘Oh man’, a succulently seductive RnB ‘meet me in the bedroom’ track -”‘Back scratchin’, knees bucklin, in the back seat…” leaving the listener feeling as though they are intruding on private moments. If you came up in the 1990’s during peak R. Kelly era, then these are the tracks you will appreciate.
‘Swag II’ reaches RnB heights when Justin seemingly held another seance for the sole purpose of channelling the spirits of Michael Jackson and Prince on a cluster of phenomenal RnB / RnB-pop tracks. ‘Don’t Wanna’ is undeniably inspired by Michael Jackson’s ‘Black or White’, as it begins with a lone bass guitar groove, and steady drums as featured artist Bakar sings in his distinct London twang “I seen her walking from a mile I had to get ‘ah”. The instrumental climbs to a dizzying frenzy of layered drums and electric guitars as Justin sings with gusto “I don’t wanna give a fcuk, I know what it should be oh, I don’t wanna mess this up.” alongside the melodic clashing and thrashing of the euphoric percussion. The progression of the song is also reminiscent of ‘The Way You Make Me Feel,’ and I am sure Michael Jackson is looking down, nodding in approval as his influence courses through the song. The general consensus from fans after 2025’s unexpected double album drop and Justin’s 2026 week two set Coachella, that being we have a prince of pop in the making may not be so far-fetched! If ‘Don’t Wanna’ donned Michael Jackson’s sequined glove, ‘Bad Honey’ throws on the iconic black and red ‘Thriller’ jacket and white socks! Justin moans, groans and yelps à la MJ throughout hot sauce adlibs as he soulfully begs “But anywaaaayy-ayyy-yaayy, I want you to stay”, over a mêlé of electric and acoustic guitars, a stomping bass, and driving drums, it is a master class in 1980’s soul/pop/funk! The track also showcases the maturity and skill of Justin’s vocal abilities as he switches between mid-range and falsetto key within seconds and plays lyrical tone twister with his shifting pitch.
Not one to be left out and claim his rightful place alongside MJ’s influence on this album, Prince’s essence makes an appearance on the absolutely beautiful ‘When It’s Over,’ which I never wanted to be over! The Biebs sings entirely in falsetto key like a celestial being sent from the heavens, beguiling the subject matter of the song which explores the hurtful things he spouts in anger which hurt him more than the intended target – “In the morning the weight isn’t gone, ‘til I lay my head at night”. The 80’s synths and echoey jabs combined with Justin’s ethereal vocal is a call back to Prince’ ‘Kiss’. The only complaint I have regarding my ‘always on repeat’ gym track is that it is far too short, and I need an extended version! ‘Poppin’ my s**t’ is a hip hop heavy, trap infused, summer vibes banger. For a song so short it packs a punch literally! The bass here is rich, full, and satisfying. If you’re a bass hunter like me which many of us Hip hop heads tend to be, this one’s for you. Louisiana rapper Hurricane Chris storms in with a verse full of…well…swag! What else! The track is such a Hip hop banger, many claimed the return of ‘Bizzle’ or ‘Lil Bieber’ as he’s jovially termed, was upon us again. The most ‘Journals’ coded song on Swag II is without a doubt ‘Petting Zoo’, a minimalist smoky n sensual song led by muted electric guitar licks as Justin’s flawless RnB harmonies plead with his beau – “Don’t wanna fight, Don’t wanna fight (I need you now)”, resulting in reminiscing once again on the joys of 2013’s ‘Journals’ album.
Although RnB riffs dominate the album, and Swag II is served with high gloss in places however, Justin has the musical awareness to realise not all of his fans will identify with pure RnB jams, particularly those who discovered him as a pop pantheon, and there are songs scattered across Swag II, which cater to fans of the pop persuasion such as catchy ‘Eye Candy’ a mid-tempo indie-RnB fusion. ‘Lyin,’ an 80’s inspired pop/country ditty, and ‘Dotted line’, which is simplistic acoustic guitar goodness as Justin weaves silky vocals with rustic rasp. Where Swag wrestles with Justin’s frustrations with fame, and gets candid regarding his delicate mental health, by the time we get to Swag II it feels as though we are listening to a fully healed version of Justin Bieber, a version who has worked through his trials and tribulations detailed throughout the previous album. Here we have a content and peaceful man counting his blessings in his new role as a father, whilst evolving as a husband.
One thing which remains consistent throughout SWAG I and SWAG II is Justin’s unwavering faith. Just as SWAG closed with Justin giving thanks to the most high via gospel great Marvin Winans on ‘Forgiveness’, SWAG II also closes with Justin giving glory to god on penultimate track ‘Hallelujah’ in which he pays tribute to his wife Hailey, their son baby Jack, and his beloved dogs Oscar and Piggy, it’s a beautiful close after listening to Justin reconcile the ups and downs of his unique life and career over 47 tracks to arrive at a place of tranquillity. SWAG II’s final track ‘Story of God’, sees Justin ambitiously assume the identity of ‘Adam’ and regales the listener on the tree of knowledge and the temptation of forbidden fruit. This 8 minute retelling of the Garden of Eden may be overwhelming for some, but as I listened to Justin’s spoken word outro it occurred to me, Justin’s profound faith has been the anchor he’s been able to grab onto and depend upon in times of strife, allowing him to be dragged from the trenches of turmoil to a place of peace.
‘Journals,’ ‘SWAG I’ and ‘SWAG II’ are Justin Bieber’s terrific RnB trifecta which can be absorbed as standalone projects, or as a trio of albums from the Biebs 8 album discography serving as an aural evolution of Justin’s RnB roots and influences. It is clear that some mainstream music connoisseurs are baffled by the uncompromising RnB laden albums, because they do not completely understand the origins of the genre or Justin Bieber’s natural affinity for it, but those of us who have been listening to RnB deep cuts since the days of Guy, New Edition, and Jodeci, Justin, we hear you, we understand and embrace the musical explorations of the kid from Canada who made good! So, what would the King of Pop whose essence is deeply intertwined within Justin’s ravishing RnB platter have to say to the newly crowned prince of pop after his 20 years of creativity, well-received albums, and successful week 2 Coachella set? Something tells me the master moonwalker would look at Justin Bieber admirably and tell him – It doesn’t matter if you’re ‘Black or white,’ if you’ve got soul, you’ve got soul! And that you do Justin, that you do!
Photo credits: SWAG I & SWAG II cover art – Renell Medrano, Def jam recordings, ILH Productions, MJ T-shirt pic – Supreme x Saint, Black cap Pic – Gulf news & Instagram.com/justinbieber/ , Coachella week 2 – Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Coa, Still from ‘SPEED DEMON’ music video – Rory Kramer, Family values – Renell Medrano, Def jam recordings, ILH Productions
SWAG Linktree
SWAG II Linktree
*WATCH* ‘SPEED DEMON’ MUSIC VIDEO*
Dine On Grime / Munch on music 