How Does Justin Bieber’s ‘Swag II’ Compare to ‘Swag’?

Sound: safe pop 

Compared to the first installment, Swag II is much more pop-forward. Bieber still gestures toward an indie-pop, bedroom-recording aesthetic, with its stripped-down guitars, and muffled beats. But the end product rarely escapes the gravitational pull of Top 40 polish. It’s safe to the point of being predictable.

Production credits include Dijon, Carter Lang, Mike Will Made-It, Buddy Ross, Daniel Chetrit, Mk.gee, and Dylan Wiggins. Impressive names, yes, but the final product leaves a lot to be desired. 

Too many tracks lean into diet R&B—songs that want the intimacy of a Bryson Tiller cut but wind up closer to a Spotify pop playlist. The exception is when Dijon’s fingerprints show. He should, frankly, be on Bieber’s speed dial. “Bad Honey” is the best example: a smooth, slightly off-kilter pop song that feels lifted straight from Dijon’s playbook, finally giving the project some texture. Without moments like this, the album risks blurring into one long radio edit.

Content: Bieber the world saver

Thematically, Swag II has Justin squarely in “save the world with my music” mode. Think aspirational, encouraging, and relentlessly earnest. Sometimes it works, but often it stumbles into corny territory.

Take “I Think You’re Special,” featuring Tems. The song aims to be an anthem for listeners weathering tough times, and while the sentiment is admirable, the delivery lands a little lopsided. Instead of inspiring, it risks sounding like a pep talk no one asked for.

Then there’s the closing track, “Story of God.” At nearly eight minutes, it’s not a song so much as a sermon. Bieber, a noted follower of Christianity, narrates the story of Adam and Eve over sparse instrumentation, a choice that feels more confusing than moving. You can’t accuse him of not going for it, but sometimes going for it leaves you scratching your head.

Features: A mixed bag of guests

On paper, the features should add color: Tems, Bakar, Hurricane Chris, Lil B, and Eddie Benjamin. In practice, though, most fade into the background. Unlike Swag, where features like Dijon’s appearance on “Devotion” elevated the project, here they feel like afterthoughts.

Tems, for instance, is credited on “I Think You’re Special,” but she’s mostly reduced to background harmonies. It feels unfair to list her as a feature when her presence is so sparse, and trust me, the people want Tems. Bakar and Eddie Benjamin get much more shine on “Don’t Wanna” and “Open Up Your Heart,” and they feel organically connected to Bieber’s sonic choices.

The real curveball is Hurricane Chris. Yes, “A Bay Bay” Hurricane Chris. His inclusion is such a random swing that you can’t help but wonder what group chat or studio session brought these two together. Nostalgia aside, the track, “Poppin’My Shit,” doesn’t justify the pairing, with its dated Young Thug song vibes and unconvincing boasts about nothing. 

Final thoughts

Listening to Swag II, you can’t shake the feeling that Swag was a real risk-taking moment for him. It was looser, riskier, and willing to step outside the pop-approved box. This sequel feels like a retreat back to old habits, smoothing out the edges that made the first installment compelling in the first place. 

The most frustrating part is that if you cut the filler from both albums and stitched the highlights together, you’d have a genuine classic on your hands. Instead, Swag II sprawls: too many songs, too many half-baked ideas, and too few moments that demand replay. Swag II isn’t bad. It’s just not the bold statement we wanted and know Bieber can deliver.