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The pop superstar is hard at work on the follow-up to 2021’s ‘Justice.’
By Shirley Halperin
Justin Bieber is hard at work on a new album and is headed abroad for inspiration, sources tell The Hollywood Reporter. The pop superstar is said to be close to finishing the project, his first since 2021’s Justice, and is looking to ”vibe out” in a Nordic country with a number of musical collaborators, an insider reveals.
Bieber has been been hosting “jam sessions” at his Los Angeles house in recent months where attendees have included his longtime DJ Tay James, musical director HARV, SZA collaborator Carter Lang and Australian artist Eddie Benjamin. Bieber has also tapped talents like U.K. singer and songwriter Sekou and producer Dylan Wiggins (Kali Uchis’ “I Wish You Roses,” The Weeknd’s “Die For You”), among other lesser-known music makers that he discovered on social media and enlisted via DMs.
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“Justin is in great spirits,” says a source, noting that a trip to a far-off (and cold?) destination — like Aspen, which Bieber has visited more than once — is not out of the norm for the artist.
A rep for Bieber declined comment.
As previously reported by THR, Bieber’s recording contract calls for four more albums via label partner Def Jam Records (a subsidiary of Universal Music Group). Since his launch in 2009, Bieber has released six full-length collections and appeared on a slew of hit singles. On Spotify alone, 17 of his songs — or songs he’s been featured on — have each amassed over a billion streams. On the Billboard Hot 100 chart, he’s logged eight No. 1 singles and 26 top-ten entries. According to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), Bieber has sold approximately 24 million albums in the U.S.
For its part, Def Jam would love to have a new Bieber album, as the demand for the singer’s return remains strong. Delaying its delivery and complicating matters for the label, according to insiders, is the unwinding of his business relationship with former manager Scooter Braun. How the two arrived at an impasse is the subject of a THR feature published on April 16, which details Bieber embarking on a bold new chapter, surrounded by a close-knit inner circle aligned with his vision to chart a new course, on his own terms.
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