Justin Bieber Wasn’t Melting Down — He Was Locked In

In between standing on business in paparazzi clashes and dodging endless rumors about his personal life, it turns out Justin Bieber was busy in the studio, making a genuinely interesting album. Swag is full of well-chosen collaborators —  Gunna, Sexyy Red, Cash Cobain, Lil B, Dijon — confessional lyrics, and even surprisingly self-aware skits recorded with Druski.

In the new episode of our Rolling Stone Music Now podcast, we break down the last few years of Bieber’s life and career, with Jeff Ihaza (who wrote a smart piece on Bieber’s cultural savvy) and Brittany Spanos joining host Brian Hiatt. (To hear the whole episode, go here for the podcast provider of your choice, listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or just press play above.) 

The discussion notes that Bieber stepped off the pop treadmill after the endless work of his younger years — Swag is only his third album of the past 10 years. It’s also a welcome throwback to an era where male pop stars drew from R&B instead of, say, soft rock. The panel goes on to dig into Bieber’s enduring influence — stars like Billie Eilish worship him, and he still carries weight as “a cool white boy,” as Ihaza puts it, in hip-hop and R&B.

Download and subscribe to Rolling Stone‘s weekly podcast, Rolling Stone Music Now, hosted by Brian Hiatt, on Apple Podcasts or Spotify (or wherever you get your podcasts). Check out eight years’ worth of episodes in the archive, including in-depth interviews with Mariah Carey, Bruce Springsteen, SZA, Questlove, Halsey, Neil Young, Snoop Dogg, Brandi Carlile, Phoebe Bridgers, Rick Ross, Alicia Keys, the National, Ice Cube, Taylor Hawkins, Willow, Keith Richards, Robert Plant, Dua Lipa, Killer Mike, Julian Casablancas, Sheryl Crow, Johnny Marr, Scott Weiland, Kirk Hammett, Coco Jones, Liam Gallagher, Alice Cooper, Fleetwood Mac, Elvis Costello, John Legend, Donald Fagen, Charlie Puth, Phil Collins, Justin Townes Earle, Stephen Malkmus, Sebastian Bach, Tom Petty, Eddie Van Halen, Kelly Clarkson, Pete Townshend, Bob Seger, the Zombies, and Gary Clark Jr. And look for dozens of episodes featuring genre-spanning discussions, debates, and explainers with Rolling Stone’s critics and reporters.

From Rolling Stone US.