Despite the new visuals, surprise album drop, and affectionate public moments with wife Hailey Bieber, insiders say not everything is as it seems behind Justin Bieber’s high-profile return.
The 31-year-old pop icon’s seventh studio album, ‘Swag,’ arrived July 11, shutting down divorce rumors, reports about mental health struggles, and financial controversy.
Fans of the artist shared their excitement announcing Justin’s return, but sources close to the star warn that personal issues still linger. “He still has underlying issues,” one source told Page Six. “He has work to do.”
While Hailey, 28, recently raised eyebrows when she was spotted without her wedding ring, the couple appeared to be back on solid ground during a cozy trip to Switzerland with their 11-month-old son, Jack Blues.
Hailey has since posted lighthearted content on Instagram. But sources say those moments are masking deeper tensions. “He doesn’t particularly handle fame well,” a source familiar with Bieber told Page Six. “Imagine being 14 and famous and people either love you or hate you for no reason. That breaks a lot of people. I’m concerned about him.”
© Splash News/The Grosby GroupJustin’s behavior in the months leading up to ‘Swag,’ including public arguments and highly criticized social media posts, has fueled concerns among close friends. One insider said, “He has mood swings — he’s kind of an extreme personality in that sense.”
© JustinBieber/InstagramOn ‘Swag,’ a track titled ‘Therapy Session’ features a fictional counseling exchange between the singer and comedian Druski, where Justin confesses, “What’s been a tough thing for me recently is feeling like I have had to go through a lot of my struggles as a human, as all of us do, really publicly.”
He continued, “And so people are always asking if I’m OK — and that starts to really weigh on me. It starts to make me feel like I’m the one with the issues and everyone else is perfect.”
© Backgrid/The Grosby GroupThe album also addresses his relationship with Hailey in the song ‘Walking Away,’ with raw lyrics like: “Girl, we better stop before we say some s–t / We’ve been testing our patience / I think we better off if we just take a break.”
Some found it surprising that Justin chose to feature his baby Jack on the album cover. “He obviously wants to protect his kid. But it’s like ‘Oh we want privacy,’ then they put the kid on album covers and books,” a celebrity insider told Page Six.
© JustinBieber/InstagramInsiders also commented on his next steps. “He needs to perform,” a source said. “What is his game plan? He’s going to have to figure out what’s next, unless he wants to be a stay-at-home dad while his wife is running her billion-dollar company.”
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