Justin Bieber’s “Swag II” is a rare miss from an artist who usually knows how to own the spotlight. Instead of a bold step forward, the album feels like a half-hearted “comeback” of an era better left in 2010.

Songs like “Swag On Me” and “Cool Intentions” reach for smooth R&B vibes but lack the energy and polish of Bieber’s earlier work. The production feels thin, the hooks uninspired.

Landen Morse, a junior at Ripon High School, put it bluntly: “I tuned in for Lil B of Berkeley, a true visionary of his time, but Bieber didn’t even give a pioneer of the swag era an important feature. On an album called ‘Swag,’ that’s truly disappointing.”

The absence of Lil B isn’t just a missed opportunity… It’s the nail in the coffin for a project that promised nostalgia but delivered filler. Instead of celebrating the sounds that defined a cultural moment, Bieber shrinks his own legacy by playing it safe.

“Swag II” could have been a statement. Instead, it’s a shrug.