If Swag felt like an experiment that never fully figured out what it wanted to be, Swag II is both a refinement and a reminder that Justin Bieber still struggles to balance ambition with execution. Across 23 tracks, the album swings between promising ideas, half-baked beats, and occasional flashes of real emotional weight. It’s sprawling, uneven, and often exhausting — but it’s also unmistakably Bieber: restless, expressive, and trying to break free from the polished pop shell that once defined his career.

One of the most immediate takeaways is that Bieber’s vocals have rarely sounded this strong. Whether he’s whispering through the intimacy of Better Man, reaching into his falsetto on Eye Candy, or floating over the spacious production of Open Up Your Heart, there’s a sense of conviction and control that was missing on much of the first Swag. Even on less successful tracks like I Think You’re Special or When It’s Over, where the production lacks impact, Bieber commits fully — and that commitment often carries more emotional weight than the instrumentation behind him.

The production, however, remains a sticking point. Bieber continues the trend from Swag of pairing strong vocal performances with underdeveloped or mismatched instrumentals. Songs like Speed Demon and Oh Man are prime examples: confident vocals buried under awkward, skeletal beats that feel more like unfinished demos than fully realized tracks. Even when tracks build toward something promising — like Don’t Wanna or Moving Fast — they often fizzle out instead of erupting, leaving a lingering sense of missed potential.

That said, Swag II does show growth in texture and tonal variety. The album isn’t just a retread of the first — it experiments more, explores new sonic spaces, and plays with contrast. Love Song glows with a washed-out, almost dreamlike quality. Mother In You offers a stripped-down acoustic moment that lands with sincerity, and Bad Honey dives into a funk-leaning groove that actually feels alive, tactile, and full of character.

Tracks like Eye Candy and Petting Zoo show Bieber at his most adventurous — channeling Michael Jackson-esque playfulness and 80s R&B swagger while still sounding like himself. These are the moments where Swag II starts to feel like a distinct project rather than a shuffled playlist. There’s a pulse, a personality, and a willingness to take risks — even if not all of them pay off.

Lyrically, Bieber keeps things mostly surface-level, leaning on familiar themes of love, heartbreak, growth, and spiritual introspection. There are tender declarations (I Do, Better Man), glimpses of vulnerability (Safe Space, Lyin’), and even moments of soul-searching (Story of God). The lyrics don’t often dig deep, but Bieber’s delivery — emotional, clear, and often earnest — sells what the words can’t. That said, the sermon-like closer, Story of God, feels more indulgent than profound, slowing the album’s momentum just when it should be ending with clarity or power.

The biggest issue, without question, is the album’s length. At 23 tracks, Swag II is bloated to the point of diminishing returns. By the time you reach late-album cuts like Everything Hallelujah and Story of God, the earlier highlights start to blur together. Like the first Swag, you get the sense that a tighter, more focused 12-14 track project would’ve let the best moments breathe and land harder, while trimming the excess that drags things down.

In the end, Swag II is undeniably a better album than its predecessor. There’s growth — vocally, emotionally, and in terms of production choices — and several standout moments where Bieber pushes past his pop foundations and touches on something more daring and personal. But the inconsistency and length hold it back from being truly great.

There are songs here worth revisiting (Bad Honey, Eye Candy, Mother In You, Open Up Your Heart), but just as many that feel like sketches or missed opportunities. Swag II shows an artist stretching himself in all directions — sometimes beautifully, sometimes frustratingly. It's messy, ambitious, and deeply human — which might just be its greatest strength and its biggest weakness.

Rating: 6/10