By now, Justin Bieber is a pop music legend. Over nearly two decades, the world has watched as he’s evolved from a doe-eyed teen into a creative titan, consistently reinventing himself while pushing his sound forward. And out of nowhere last week, he returned with “Swag,” showing just how much gas he’s got left in the tank. (Spoiler: it’s a lot.)
“Swag,” a relatively subdued and introspective body of work, is Bieber at his most mature, sharing his love for his wife Hailey and son Jack across 21 tracks. It marks a turning point for Bieber, no longer managed by longtime handler Scooter Braun and under complete creative control of his work. What it’s yielded is Bieber at his most vulnerable and personal — despite erratic social media posts over the past few months and speculation over the health of his marriage, he’s in a good place, clearly enjoying his role as father and husband while exploring new ways to express it.
At 31, Bieber is leaps away from his humble beginnings as a YouTube sensation, yet he is still finding room to grow. With the arrival of his seventh album, Variety takes a look back at his robust catalog and pares it down to the 10 most essential songs.