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Justin Bieber to Surprise Release Long-Awaited 7th Album (Exclusive)

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Justin Bieber is about to drop a new album, The Hollywood Reporter has learned. Def Jam will release his long-awaited seventh album on Friday, July 11, sources reveal.

A representative for Bieber didn’t reply to request for comment. Def Jam declined to comment.

As THR reported, Bieber headed to Iceland in late April to put finishing touches on the project, his first since 2021’s Justice. His Nordic getaway hosted jam sessions and allowed the pop superstar to ”vibe out” with a number of musical collaborators, an insider reveals.

As of Thursday, a billboard in Iceland that depicts Bieber with the word “Swag” is starting to go viral online. Presumably, that could be the name of the album though it’s unclear at press time. The same billboard went up in Los Angeles on Thursday.

Bieber posted several photos and videos of his own Thursday as well that show what seems to be the album’s tracklist.

Recent posts on Instagram, such as this one from June 30, also show what appears to be a final mix in ProTools. Other studio images suggest that music being played for Bieber is past its tracking phase and that the stereo files seen are a finished mix of some sort.

As sources shared with THR in April, Bieber had been hosting “jam sessions” at his Los Angeles house where attendees have included his longtime DJ Tay James, musical director HARV, SZA collaborator Carter Lang and Australian artist Eddie Benjamin. Features on the album include Gunna and Sexyy Red as well as Cash Cobain, each of whom Bieber has shouted out on social media in recent months.

Bieber had also tapped talents like U.K. singer-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.

Bieber’s long awaited album comes four years after his last album, and his life has changed significantly since then. For one, he had a child with wife Hailey Bieber last year. On the music side, he split from his longtime manager Scooter Braun in 2023. Braun just announced earlier this month that he’s stepping down as CEO of Hybe America.

As THR reported, the two recently resolved their remaining financial issues — specifically, a debt triggered by the cancellation of Bieber’s Justice tour in 2022. (A representative for Bieber declined to comment on the settlement at the time.) In not fulfilling his contractual obligation to AEG (the tour’s promoter) to complete the concert dates, for which he received a $40 million advance, Bieber was left owing more than $20 million to AEG. Then-manager Braun, through his company, covered what was owed through a loan. The two were partnered in a number of other businesses including a record label and film projects.

Braun was also involved in a $200 million catalog deal to Hipgnosis Songs (now Recognition Music) for Bieber’s songwriting interests, possibly the largest nest egg in music history for an artist under 30. (Worth noting: Hailey Bieber, who married Justin in 2018, recently sold her Rhode Beauty skin care brand to e.l.f. Beauty for $1 billion; Braun was a seed investor.)





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Cooper Flagg wins Summer League debut despite uneven showing

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LAS VEGAS — Cooper Flagg made his professional debut Thursday night in the NBA Summer League and celebrated an 87-85 win over Bronny James and the Los Angeles Lakers.

Flagg finished with 10 points on 5-for-21 shooting, including 0 for 5 from 3-point range. He also had six rebounds, four assists, three steals and one block. Though Flagg struggled at times to find his rhythm, there were flashes as to why he was chosen No. 1 overall last month, doing plenty of little things that helped the Mavericks seal the win, including a key block near the end of the game.

Flagg swatted DJ Steward’s attempt with 1:10 left in the game, and Ryan Nembhard made a 3-pointer at the other end to give Dallas the 87-85 lead.

Flagg strolled into UNLV’s Thomas and Mack Center at 4:17 p.m. on Thursday, wearing Dallas Mavericks gear, bright white New Balance shoes, and an emotionless look on his face as he passed through security.

Roughly 45 minutes later, he wore the same stone-cold face as he came out for warmups shortly after 5 p.m.

His fans more than made up for it with plenty of energy, electrifying the jam-packed arena that cheered loudest when he was announced as a starter in his first Summer League game.

Flagg missed his first two attempts of the game, picked up his first foul just 46 seconds into the game, and gave the crowd what they’d been anticipating, going one-on-one with fellow fan favorite James.

James buried his first attempt over Flagg, and then hit a 3-pointer after the 6-foot-8 Duke product missed his second attempt to give the Lakers a 5-0 lead.

Flagg excited the crowd at the 4:30 mark of the first quarter, jamming home his first points.

Early in the second quarter, Flagg nearly sent every fan in the building into a frenzy when he made a spin move into the paint and attempted a one-handed slam dunk over 7-foot Christian Koloko. The ball caromed off the back of the rim and still drew plenty of oohs and ahhs.

Generally filled with Lakers fans when the team plays in the summer, the arena was full of emotion with a fair share of Mavericks fans in attendance to see the 2025 National college player of the year.

Like 15-year-old Baer Epple, 15, who was seated with his father Chad in the third row from the court, donning Dirk Nowitzki’s Mavericks jersey.

Epple said he’s been following Flagg since before his Duke days, beginning with his junior year at Nokomis Regional High School in Newport, Maine.

The 15-year-old who is in Las Vegas from Seattle for an AAU tournament said he’s been a Mavericks fan for roughly four years.

“Even more of a fan now that they got Cooper Flagg,” Epple said. “Hopefully he does good, that’d be pretty cool to see. I don’t want him to be like a bust or anything.”

Mavericks coach Jason Kidd told The Associated Press before the game he’s looking for nothing more than effort and grit in his team’s opening game, as he wants them all playing hard.

“This summer league is a little different when you have this type of turnout,” Kidd said. “But the guys have had a couple practices. There’s going to be some turnovers. I just want to see how they respond to a couple of mistakes being made, no one’s gonna play a perfect game and be unselfish.”

As for his prize draft pick: “We’re all excited,” Kidd said of Flagg. “Seen enough of him on tape, so now it’s good to see him on the floor.”



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Judge blocks Trump’s birthright order after Supreme Court ruling

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A US judge has once again blocked President Donald Trump from implementing an executive order ending birth right citizenship for some US residents as a legal challenge moves forward.

A New Hampshire judge approved a class action lawsuit against Trump’s executive order, and temporarily stopped the president’s order from taking effect.

The class action lawsuit was brought by the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of immigrant parents and their infants.

The decision comes weeks after the Supreme Court introduced limits on how and when universal injunctions are issued by federal courts. However, the decision still allows them through certain legal avenues.

The class action suit was introduced after the Supreme Court decision, in keeping with the new standards set by the court.

Still, the White House challenged the validity of the judge’s ruling.

“Today’s decision is an obvious and unlawful attempt to circumvent the Supreme Court’s clear order against universal relief. This judge’s decision disregards the rule of law by abusing class action certification procedures,” spokesman Harrison Fields said in a statement Thursday. “The Trump Administration will be fighting vigorously against the attempts of these rogue district court judges to impede the policies President Trump was elected to implement.”

The lawsuit argues Trump’s order goes against the 14th Amendment to the US Constitution, which established that “all persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside”.

Trump has sought to revoke that right for babies born to undocumented immigrants and foreign visitors, as part of his crackdown on immigration.

The class-action lawsuit seeks to challenge the order as harmful and unconstitutional, and the judge ruled that it can proceed on behalf of the babies who would be affected by the restrictions.

The ruling also once again pauses an order that was a priority for Trump. The judge has given the government seven days to appeal.

Restricting birthright citizenship was one of his first actions in office.

Multiple courts across the US issued nationwide injunctions as they considered legal challenges to the order.

The Trump administration appealed those temporary holds to the highest US court, arguing judges did not have the authority to block a presidential order nationally while the courts considered the cases.

The Supreme Court’s conservative majority sided with Trump in a 6-3 ruling that broadly curtailed judicial power, though the justices did not address the constitutionality of Trump’s birthright citizenship order.

Following the Supreme Court’s decision, Trump’s order had been set to take effect on 27 July.



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Rubio in bind as he seeks to reassure Asia, even as region faces punishing Trump tariffs | Tariffs

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Even as they face among the most punitive tariffs globally, US secretary of state Marco Rubio has sought to reassure southeast Asian nations of Washington’s commitment to the region, saying countries there may get “better” trade deals than the rest of the world.

In his first official visit to Asia, Rubio met foreign ministers of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) in Malaysia on Thursday, telling his counterparts the US has “no intention of abandoning” the region.

His visit came days after president Donald Trump renewed his threat to impose severe tariffs across many southeast Asian countries if they did not strike deals by 1 August.

The region, which includes countries that rely on exports and manufacturing, has been among the worst hit by Trump’s trade war.

Thailand, Malaysia, Laos, Myanmar, Cambodia, the Philippines and Indonesia were sent letters this week warning they will face tariffs ranging from 20-40% – levies that Rubio said were being discussed with Asean countries.

“I would say that when all is said and done, many of the countries in Southeast Asia are going to have tariff rates that are actually better than countries in other parts of the world,” Rubio said.

Marco Rubio meets with Malaysia’s prime minister Anwar Ibrahim. Photograph: Mandel Ngan/Reuters

Prior to Rubio’s arrival in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysian prime minister Anwar Ibrahim condemned the tariffs, saying the trade war was not a “passing storm” but instead “the new weather of our time”.

Tools once used to generate growth were now being “wielded to pressure, isolate and contain”, he said.

The looming tariffs have cast a shadow over Rubio’s trip, even as he sought to underline the importance of southeast Asia to Washington.

“It is our view, our strong view, and the reality that this century and the next, the story of the next 50 years, will largely be written here in this region, in this part of the world,” he said.

Stephen Olson, visiting senior fellow at ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore, said Rubio had “the unenviable position of trying to reassure southeast Asian partners that [the] US continues to be committed to the region and to free and open trade relations when all the evidence points in the opposite direction.”

“Asean ministers will give him a polite and respectful reception but are unlikely to be fundamentally persuaded by anything he says,” added Olson.

Questions over Washington’s commitment to the region coupled with Trump’s unpredictable economic polices could be a boon for China.

At the same meeting China and Asean, which is China’s largest trading partner, completed negotiations to further refine their free trade area to include additional industries.

Representatives attending the Asean foreign ministers meeting. Photograph: Xinhua/Shutterstock

And in veiled comments, Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi appeared to draw a contrast between Washington and Beijing – presenting China as a reliable partner interested in mutual development.

Without naming the US directly, he criticised Trump’s tariffs, highlighting “unilateral protectionism and the abuse of tariffs by a certain major country”.

In another sign of the economic recalibration, Japanese prime minister Shigeru Ishiba told a television news programme that Japan needed to wean itself from US dependence in key areas.

“If they think Japan ought to follow what America says as we depend heavily on them, then we need to work to become more self-sufficient in security, energy and food, and less dependent on America,” he said.

Vietnam is the only Asian country, and the second globally, to reach a trade deal with the US. Under the agreement many goods will face a tariff of 20% but a 40% levy will remain for so-called transshipments – a provision that is aimed at Chinese companies accused of passing their products through Vietnam to avoid tariffs.

Trump’s agreement with Vietnam is seen by analysts as a sign he will use tariff negotiations to try to pressure countries to cut China from their supply chains.

Southeast Asian nations have rushed to offer concessions to Trump to avert the tariffs, which could devastate economic growth.

Levies loom over eight out of 10 Asean nations, including a tariff of 20% on the Philippines, 25% on Malaysia and Brunei, 32% on Indonesia, and 36% on Cambodia and Thailand. Laos and Myanmar, a country gripped by civil war, continue to face among the most severe tariffs globally, with a 40% levy.

In Thailand, if the government is unable to avert the 36% rate, GDP growth is expected to drop below 1% this year, according to analysis by the Eurasia Group, a political risk consultancy.

Bangkok has pledged to reduce its $46bn trade surplus with the US by 70% within five years and eliminate the imbalance within eight years.

Officials in Indonesia, Southeast Asia’s largest economy, were also reportedly shocked by the letters sent by the US, which came despite a recent pledge to increase imports from the US by $34bn.

With agencies



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