Justin Bieber broke his four-year music hiatus with the release of his seventh studio album on July 12. The singer dropped the tracklist without much noise but raised eyebrows when one of the tracks featured real audio from a run-in with paparazzi. According to TMZ, Bieber quietly bought the rights to the footage of himself mid-meltdown and turned that tense moment into a track on Swag. The album includes a 50-second voice note titled “Standing on Business.”
Justin Bieber buys his paparazzi confrontation video
The lyrics from one of Bieber’s new tracks, “You’re not getting it. It’s not clocking to you. It’s not clocking to you that I’m standing on business, is it?” are already making the rounds online, with comedian Druski jumping in to roast his pronunciation. “I like how you pronounce business,” Druski says. “I say ‘standing on bid-ness.’ I don’t say ‘standing on business, bro.’ You were pronouncing every word. You can’t do that when you’re in the zone.” The audio is pulled from the same clip where Bieber was caught storming out of a restaurant in a hoodie and sweats, yelling at paparazzi, “I’m a father! Give me some damn respect!”
According to TMZ, behind the scenes, Bieber’s team made a deal with the photo agency that shot the video. Part of the deal included a non-disclosure agreement (NDA), which means they can’t say how much Bieber paid or discuss any fine print. What makes this arrangement even more interesting is that Bieber’s always had a rocky history with paparazzi, especially post his marriage to Hailey and the endless rumours that follow them around. But instead of waging war or dodging cameras, he paid the same guys he once clashed with and turned their footage into part of his official album rollout. Fans aren’t mad, they’re calling it genius.
In other parts of the album, Bieber opened up about his marriage to Hailey, the constant pressure of being followed, while subtly acknowledging reports of trouble in paradise. Still, he makes it clear he’s not walking away. Ahead of the album drop, Bieber and Hailey posted a stream of photos with their newborn, Jack Blues Bieber, now very much a part of the album’s core theme. The 21-track Swag mixes lo-fi, R&B-infused pop with multiple voice notes. On one of the most talked-about tracks, “Walking Away,” he sings: “Baby, I ain’t walking away / You were my diamond / Gave you a ring / I made you a promise. I told you I’d change / It’s just human nature / These growing pains / And baby, I ain’t walking away.” Elsewhere, he hints at leaning on someone’s shoulder during his rough patch, and someone being after his money. Earlier this month, Bieber and his former manager, Scooter Braun, quietly settled their financial disputes.
