Justin Bieber, fresh off surprise-dropping what is without a doubt one of this year’s strongest albums to date, is pausing to reflect on his journey so far by looking back at a pre-superstardom interview circa 2008.
Tuesday, Bieber, who first achieved largely unparalleled global fame as a teenager, shared a clip from a 2008 interview with Canada’s Etalk. In the clip, a young Bieber is seen saying he “never thought this opportunity would happen,” calling it “out of this world.”
From there, the interviewer inquired about whether Bieber gets nervous when performing (“no, not really”) and asked him to look ahead at “what kind of career” he might want after getting a record deal.
“Well, I see myself doing more, like, R&B,” Bieber, who later that same year signed a deal with Island, said at the time. “Sort of like Usher, Justin, or like an old Michael Jackson.”
The mention of the late King of Pop, of course, is particularly prescient in light of SWAG’s release, as many fans have highlighted the distinctly MJ-esque vocal touches that appear throughout the 21-track album.
The album, Bieber’s seventh, comes just over four years after Justice, his Chance the Rapper-featuring chart-topper that arrived on the heels of Changes, another No. 1. Potentially, Bieber could be following a similar strategy with SWAG, meaning we may get another new full-length within a year, if not sooner.
Regardless, SWAG stands on its own. Listen here, then take a look back at the road to its surprise release.
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