Every half-decade or so, Justin Bieber sloughs off the callused skin of the pop superstar he became at age 15 to reveal the tender and quirky R&B singer he’s always been at heart. He did it in 2013 with his album “Journals,” then in 2020 with “Changes.”

Justin Bieber has released “Swag," his long-awaited seventh studio album. The 21-track release arrived Friday, hours after Bieber teased it was coming through a series of billboards and social media posts.

Justin Bieber's surprise 'Swag' album marks his first release in four years, and the most creative and wide-ranging music of his life