Artiste: Justin Bieber

Album: Swag

Rating: ****

Justin Bieber is on his own with his new album, Swag, marking the moment. He has finally moved away from Scooter Braun, who discovered him in 2008. He joins the likes of Beyonce (in 2011 she stopped her father, Mathew Knowles, from managing her affairs) and Rihanna (she parted ways with Marc Jordan around 2010-11).

His seventh album was released a day after news broke that Braun was no longer a part of his professional life, and to that effect, a $31.5 million settlement was made.

The 31-year-old is indeed miles away from the music he was making in his teens. It feels raw and far more improvised than Journals (2013) and Changes (2020). There is a demo-like element to some tracks, as if he had AirDropped snippets from his phone to his team at the recording studio, resulting in the beautiful ditty Glory Voice Memo. The messy life he has led has yielded beautifully messy music.

Decades have passed since Bieber first appeared on our screens, and he has been fodder for tabloids. He throws caution to the wind on Swag, which has a touch of soul music and captures a man who has seen a bit too much for comfort.

Daisies bridges his pop days with something progressive, All I can Take conjures up a storm with its fiery synths, and Sweet Spot is a nod to the contribution of Maurice Starr, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis towards 1980s R&B boy band New Edition.

Swag doesn’t care about linearity, which can be seen as a declaration of Bieber’s independence. Dadz Love (with Lil B) is a rousing number while on Yukon, his voice appears larger than life: I know you like to go slow, but we could go faster / Tell me the password.

Equally responsible for the album’s success are Dijon and Mk.gee, who earn a handful of writing and production credits, but their contribution can be felt in the overall sound. Bieber’s voice is soulful… the most soulful we have heard in years.

Artiste: Trisha Yearwood

Album: The Mirror

Rating: *****

A little bit of Trisha Yearwood is what you need if country music is on the mind. The 60-year-old has an enviable catalogue with hits like How Do I Live and There Goes My Baby. On The Mirror, she tackles some earthier material.

It is more of an exercise in overcoming self-doubt when it comes to writing, and this is probably her most personal album, co-writing and co-producing with Chad Carlson. She has done a bit of songwriting before, like the 1991 Kenny Rogers track How Do I Break It To My Heart and Michelle Wright’s If I’m Ever Over You, but this time, she goes deep, celebrating the influence Linda Ronstadt and Patsy Cline have had on her.

She sweeps listeners off their feet with the rollicking opener, Bringing the Angels: I’m about to stand on the solid rock / Had enough of this shaky ground/ I’m about to rise, knock the ashes off. The singer changes gears with Fearless These Days as she leans into something more personal: When I was seventeen, you know me/ I was everybody’s friend/ Just trying to fit in.

The songs more than stand up on their own and showcase her voice in fine form, like on Girls Night In and The Ocean And The River, which somewhat captures her fighting spirit: Born restless and in a hurry/ Going somewhere, maybe nowhere, like I do. Yearwood pulls the right punches to deliver one of the best country albums of the year so far.

Artiste: Kesha

Album: Period.

Rating: ***

The Kesha we know from her Animal days is back with blunt pop, packed with big sounds. Her first release on the newly formed Kesha Records contains explosive numbers like the bouncy Boy Crazy and the carefree Yippee-Ki-Yay.

She tries to make the record sound like an act of reclamation and is partially successful. Her legal battle with her former producer, “Dr” Luke Gottwald, whom she had accused of sexual assault and other allegations, which he denied, forced her to complete an obligation to release music on the Kemosabe label. But now she is free.

The smooth pop she delivers is not completely devoid of algorithmic effort, but it is a return to bratty energy and dynamic hooks.

Joyride appears fresh with its mix of accordion and handclaps and a choir while Love Forever mirrors a Daft Punk vibe. But there are times when songs clash on the album, like Freedom with its jarring notes and Delusional offering a formulaic sop. Yet, it’s good to see Kesha back to making music that she could be proud of.

Artiste: Sting

Album: Dream of the Blue Turtles (expanded)

Rating: *****

The solo debut album of Sting from 1985 now has an expanded edition, including 13 tracks previously unavailable on DSPs. These range from the B-Side Another Day to rare remixes of If You Love Somebody Set Them Free and Love Is The Seventh Wave, besides an alternate mix of Moon Over Bourbon Street (Cornelius Mix) and Fortress Around Your Heart (Hugh Padgham Remix).

You can still hear him having fun, away from his band The Police, on tracks like the bluesy Consider Me Gone and Moon over Bourbon Street.

The album originally reached number two on the Billboard 200 and picked up a 3x-Platinum certification from the RIAA in the US. The singer co-produced the album with Pete Smith, who helped make records for The Police, Stevie Wonder, Van Morrison, and more.

— Mathures Paul