The Lead Sheet ~ 7/15/25

The Lead Sheet is your guide to this week’s new music - taking a look at newly released albums, who made them, and how listeners are responding. 

Justin Bieber’s new surprise-album, SWAG released this week, the artist’s seventh LP to date.  Musically, SWAG is a mixture of alt-pop and R&B, and has twenty-one tracks in total. The album’s reviews are markedly mixed; while some find the new project to be his most refined and “adult” sounding record, many feel there just aren’t any standout hits to speak of, and a few reviews mention a “muddy” sounding mix. Still more commend Bieber for taking some risks and experimenting with a tonal shift. SWAG also features artists like Gunna, Lil B, and Dijon.

Scottish electronic music producer, Barry Can’t Swim, (a.k.a. Joshua Spence Mainnie), released his second full length album, Loner, on July 11th. Taking elements from hip-hop, lo-fi, EDM and house genres, Loner has a distinctively dark feel. There’s something unsettling and cinematic about the dissonant tones selected, and the rhythmic, looping vocal samples feel dystopian and dramatic. Reviews are mostly positive, though some prefer his debut album, When Will We Land?, and were disappointed that many tracks included in the album had been previously released as singles. 

Jackboys & Travis Scott, dropped Jackboys 2, a sequel to their experimental and somewhat silly album Jackboys. Jackboys 2, doesn’t take itself too seriously, while still delivering catchy beats and rap flows. The new project doesn’t seem to hold any big hits, and while the energy is high, some listeners feel that Jackboys 2 doesn’t break any new ground and ultimately feels stale. The compilation record also has some great features, like Waka Flocka Flame, 21 Savage, Playboi Carti, and more. 

English indie band Wet Leg released their second studio album, Moisturizer, on Friday. Reviews thus far are excellent, with both fans and critics agreeing the album is a contender for indie album of the year. Standout tracks like “CPR” and “jennifer’s body” define the album’s bold, driving rock sound. Great bass riffs, snappy drums and sultry vocals from the band’s frontwoman Rhian Teasdale give the band punch and a distinctively unique sound. The whole group drips with confidence, and while some feel they’ll never top their debut album, many agree that Moisturizer proves the band’s success was anything but a fluke. 

Rising star of R&B, GIVĒON, also released his second full album this week, entitled Beloved. Beloved is getting praise across the board; the singer’s smooth baritone continues to win over critics, who are using words like “stunning” and “heavenly” to describe the album’s sound. GIVĒON infuses every verse with heartfelt emotion, but also with a surgical vocal dexterity- every riff and run lands effortlessly to compliment the excellent scoring and composition backing him up. Despite being such a new artist to gain popularity, GIVĒON is surely on his way to being known as one of R&B’s greats. 

Justin Bieber - Swag

Def Jam Records

Released July 11, 2025

Barry Can’t Swim - Loner

Ninja Tune

Released July 11, 2025

Jackboys & Travis Scott - Jackboys 2

Cactus Jack

Released July 13, 2025

Wet Leg - Moisturizer

Domino

July 11, 2025

GIVĒON - Beloved 

Epic 

Released July 11, 2025