Will ‘Swag II’ Be Justin Bieber’s Return to Pure Pop?

In addition to sharing Swag II's simple, bright pink cover on Instagram, Bieber has spent the day blanketing his grid with Swag II content. The pop star posted a pink Swag II posters aside the Eiffel Tower, a photo of himself, wife Hailey Bieber and their baby projected in New York, and pink merch, which will be released as part of Bieber's clothing brand, skylrk.

Swag, which involved the close collaboration of Indie rock savants Mk.gee and Dijon, was a marked turn for the world's most famous male pop star. Guitar-forward, noticeably more lo-fi than his sleekly made prior albums and much more personally forthcoming. Bieber used the album to publicly address concerns over his mental and physical health, as well as the constant commentary on his marriage to Hailey Bieber.

Via interviews with internet comedian Druski, which served as interludes throughout Swag, Bieber explored the toll of public discourse. "People are always asking if I'm okay and that starts to weigh on me," he told Druski on interlude track "Therapy Session." "It starts to make me feel like I'm the one with issues and everyone else is perfect."

Little has been confirmed about tonight's surprise new album, but a previous report by Billboard indicates that this follow up album will sound closer to the standard pop fare Bieber had released earlier in his career. That said, it's difficult to imagine Bieber completely abandoning his newer, more off the cuff writing approach and Swag's more experimental sound. Whatever it sounds like, the music is still in progress. Around 9 AM PT, Bieber posted a story on Instagram that read simply: "Still making edits. Turning [in] album afternoon tho."

Notably, rapper and internet culture pioneer, Lil B, who also was featured on Swag track "DADZ LOVE," shared Bieber's Swag II announcement on his Instagram grid (which Bieber then shared to his story), perhaps indicating Lil B's continued collaboration.

We'll have answers tonight, when Bieber summer will have officially tumbled into a Bieber fall at midnight ET.

Image via Getty