WHAT JUSTIN BIEBER€™S SWAG CAN TEACH YOU ABOUT BARING YOUR SOUL AS A WRITER

What Justin Bieber’s SWAG Can Teach You About Baring Your Soul as a Writer

There’s something strangely poetic about an artist who’s been through the wringer—spotlighted, dragged, canceled, reborn—and still chooses to make music that sounds like a diary. That’s exactly what Justin Bieber did with SWAG.

No, it’s not just an album. It’s a confessional booth dressed like a party. It’s heartbreak wrapped in trap beats. It’s joy shadowed by pain. And as writers, SWAG gives us a blueprint on how to show up on the page with that same mix of mess and magic.

1. Vulnerability Is the New Flex

Bieber doesn’t pretend to be untouchable on this album. He talks about regret, betrayal, overthinking, faith, love, addiction, paranoia—all in a voice that doesn’t flinch. If you’re a writer, that’s your gold mine.

💬 Lesson: Write like you’re bleeding, not branding. Readers don’t connect to perfection—they connect to the parts of you that tremble when spoken out loud.

2. Let the Pain Be Loud and Beautiful

On tracks like “Freak” and “Tears Run Dry”, JB doesn’t water down the mess. He leans into it. There’s something beautiful in watching someone refuse to hide their scars, especially in a world obsessed with filters.

Lesson: Stop apologizing for being “too emotional” or “too intense.” Your truth is someone else’s mirror. And the louder you cry on the page, the more people hear themselves in your voice.

3. Genre-Bending = Rule-Breaking = Freedom

SWAG refuses to stay in one lane. It’s trap, pop, R&B, gospel, lo-fi—all at once. And that unpredictability is part of its soul.

Lesson: You don’t need to write like anyone else. You don’t need to fit a genre. Your style can be a mixtape. Let your voice be weird, loud, quiet, poetic, or chaotic. Whatever feels true.

4. Faith Without Preaching

Bieber talks about God like someone who’s wrestling, not someone who’s pretending to be saved. He’s real. It’s messy. It’s human.

Lesson: Don’t be afraid to bring your beliefs into your work—but do it from a place of exploration, not explanation. Ask big questions. Be unsure. Your honesty will always land harder than your conclusions.

5. Unapologetic Doesn’t Mean Arrogant—It Means Free

The biggest flex on SWAG isn’t Bieber’s voice or fame. It’s how unapologetically himself he is. He sounds like a man who’s finally done performing.

Lesson: Write like no one’s watching. Or better yet—write like the people who will watch are just lucky to witness your truth.

Final Word:

If SWAG had a message for writers, it’d be this:

“Stop hiding. Stop editing your truth to make it more ‘relatable.’ You don’t need permission to feel deeply, speak boldly, or take up space. Write the damn truth. Then let it sing.”

Whether you're journaling, drafting your first novel, or spilling poems at 2 a.m., take a cue from Bieber’s chaos and clarity: Be real. Be raw. Be you.