Beilebers rejoice – Justin Bieber is back with a surprise album. Somehow, the popstar managed to keep his seventh album completely under wraps – shocking the world by only giving fans a few hours’ notice before Swag dropped. (The title might sound familiar – remember ‘swag, swag, swag on you’ from 2012 hit Boyfriend?)

The album, which dropped Friday, has received positive reviews from fans, with reviews from critics still rolling in. So far, it’s been mixed. The Guardian gave it three-star review, calling it a return to a ‘genuine 2015-style passion project’ for the popstar, meanwhile The Independent (two stars) lamented the album as ‘a god-fearing, hypersexual slog’ and The Standard (also two stars) said it was ‘R&B balladry that will please his fans but won’t convert anyone else’.

What’s clear, though, is the R&B album – which Bieber produced along with names like Daniel Caesar, Dijon and mk.gee – gives a candid account of how the star is feeling.

Over the past few months, there’s been concerns, from fans and the media, about the singer’s mental health. And that’s something Justin doesn’t shy away from on the album, which a press release says has been inspired by his ‘devotion as a husband and father’. ‘This new era of music has fuelled a deeper perspective and more reflective sound,’ it continues, ‘resulting in some of his most personal music yet’.

By now, you’ve probably by now seen the infamous video of Justin confronting paparazzi – where he told them: ‘I’m a dad. I’m a husband. You’re not getting it. It’s not clocking to you. I’m standing on business.’ It quickly went viral, spawning thousands of memes, and now he’s solidified the meme forever – sampling the famous interaction on Butterflies.

But perhaps the most telling track title is Therapy Sessions featuring comedian Druski, an interlude which is essentially a conversation between the pair. Druski speaks about Justin’s social media use, saying, despite the headlines, he knows Justin is sometimes ‘trolling’ and ‘enjoying social media like the fuckin’ rest of us’.

(Justin seemingly confirming that he uses social media in a tongue-in-cheek way goes along with what an industry insider told The Hollywood Reporter earlier this year about his posts: ‘Artists are artists — they don’t look at the world the way you and I do.’)

But while Justin might be in on the joke, he reveals the scrutiny isn’t always easy to laugh off. ‘And that’s been a tough thing for me recently,’ Justin replies. ‘It’s feeling like, you know, I have had to go through a lot of my struggles as a human. As all of us do really publicly, and so people are always asking if I’m okay, and that starts to really weigh on mе. It starts to make me feels like I’m the only one with issues and everyone else is perfect.’

The album also reveals he’s in a solid place with his wife, Hailey Bieber. In case you need a reminder, the couple have been plagued by split rumours this year, which was largely prompted by Justin unfollowing his wife on Instagram. (He later claimed that he didn’t do it, writing: ‘Someone just went on my account and unfollowed my wife. Shit is getting suss out here.’)

On Go Baby, Justin sings Hailey can ‘cry on my shoulder… you better believe I can hold all the weight’. He also manages to give a shoutout to her beauty brand, Rhode, with the line: ‘That’s my baby, she’s iconic/ iPhone case, lip gloss on it.’ On Walking Away, he also promises to stand by her side, even though ‘we better stop before we say some shit, we’ve been testing our patience’.

As well as the tracks, on one of the billboards which popped up hours before the release, the pair were photographed with their baby son Jack Blues. Leaning into the paparazzi joke herself, Hailey shared the billboard on Instagram, with the caption: ‘Is it finally clocking to you f**king losers?’

It all echoes what a source told Grazia in April – that despite the noise, the pair are stronger than ever. ‘The marriage does have it’s rollercoaster moments or phases, there’s no denying that,’ the source told us. ‘But he is committed to the long term as is Hailey, they’re great parents and very determined to prove the doubters wrong over the long term.’

A month later, in May, Justin told Vogue: ‘I’ve done a lot of dumb things in my life, but the smartest thing I’ve ever done was marry Hailey.’ Hailey herself also addressed the split speculation to Vogue. ‘Well, I thought seven years in it would’ve [died down] already, and it hasn’t,’ she said. ‘You would think after having a child, people would maybe move on, chill out a little bit, but no. So I guess these bitches are going to be mad.’

It seems the pair know exactly what they’re doing. And long may their reign continue.