Justin Bieber Had Wanted to Split from Former Manager Scooter Braun ‘for So Long’

Justin Bieber reportedly has no regrets when it comes to parting ways with his former manager, Scooter Braun — and he embraced his newfound “creative freedom” while making his latest album.

“Breaking away from Scooter Braun and his team has been something that Justin has wanted for so long, and now that he’s fully free, he could finally share this album with his fans and with the world,” a source told Rolling Stone in a piece published on Saturday, July 12.

The Grammy winner, 31, released his new album, Swag, which is his first LP in four years, on Friday, July 11.

“Having full creative freedom, sadly, is something new for him as an artist,” the source continued. “Not having to stress about creating the perfect single, or perfect album, allowed for him to create the best body of music he’s ever made.”

The source added, “He was able to be his true, authentic self and didn’t have any additional voices trying to steer him in a certain direction. This is the most pure version of Justin we’ve ever seen musically. This is the first time in Justin’s career where he’s been able to have 100% creative freedom, which is why the music is so honest and vulnerable.”

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Bieber and Braun, 44, worked together for more than 15 years before ending their business relationship in 2023. 

Braun showed his support for Bieber’s new music, calling his Swag album “beautiful” and “raw” in a post on his Instagram Stories on July 12.

“Been having a beautiful start to the weekend and been getting a lot of texts about how I feel about Justin’s new album… so I will just leave this here,” he began.

He continued, “This is, without a doubt, the most authentically Justin Bieber album to date. It’s beautiful, raw, and truly him. And that matters.”

“I’ve had the privilege of witnessing his growth for almost two decades,” Braun continued. “Along every journey, there comes a time when an artist fully steps into their own — and that’s what he’s done here. He poured his soul into this project, and you can feel it in every single run.”

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“The way he chose to release it is just as intentional as the music itself — and I’m happy to see him do it this way. I’ve played no [role] in this one, but as someone who’s always believed in him, I’m incredibly proud and impressed and genuinely enjoyed the music,” he added.

The release of Swag comes shortly after the musician and manager reached a settlement on an ongoing financial dispute in which Bieber agreed to pay $26 million owed to Braun as part of an advance he received from AEG Presents for his canceled 2022 Justice tour, sources confirmed to PEOPLE. 

Braun’s company, HYBE, had initially covered the cost for Bieber when the tour was ultimately canceled and AEG Presents needed to recoup their money, with Bieber agreeing to pay Braun and HYBE back in time.

Another insider told PEOPLE that Bieber will also pay an additional $5.5 million, which covers half of $11 million in unpaid commissions he owed Braun.