ARI SHAPIRO, HOST:
Justin Bieber's new album is back in the Billboard top 10 thanks to a technique that's grown increasingly common. NPR's Stephen Thompson has the report.
STEPHEN THOMPSON, BYLINE: Justin Bieber's new album, "Swag," debuted on the Billboard charts about two months ago. It's been a solid hit for the singer. "Swag" entered the album's chart at No. 2 and has stuck around the top 20 ever since. The first single, "DAISIES," currently sits in the top ten.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "DAISIES")
JUSTIN BIEBER: (Singing) The way you got me all in my head, think I'd rather you in my bed.
THOMPSON: Bieber released "Swag" on just a day's notice, which meant passing up a long runway of prerelease promotion. But he's already released an expanded deluxe edition, a promotional tool that's become increasingly common in the streaming era. Bieber's new version of "Swag" is titled "Swag II." The original album spanned 21 tracks, already a generous portion. Now it's more than twice as long with a total of 44 songs. "Swag's" length runs more than two hours, which is a lot of Bieber. It remains to be seen whether Bieber's newfound commitment to quantity helps any of "Swag's" newest songs become hits. Two of them do crack this week's Hot 100 singles chart, including "SPEED DEMON," which debuts at No. 66.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "SPEED DEMON")
BIEBER: (Singing) I keep creeping, I keep creeping - mm, yeah - a speed demon, speed demon. She keep dreamin'. I can't see 'em. Speed demon, speed demon...
THOMPSON: The supersizing of recent albums is largely a byproduct of the streaming era, wherein more songs equal more streams, which equals higher chart placement, but it's been especially common in the last year or so. Late last year, SZA released a deluxe edition of her blockbuster "SOS" and zoomed back to the top of the charts. Ariana Grande also returned to No. 1 with an expanded edition of "Eternal Sunshine" earlier this year.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "TWILIGHT ZONE")
ARIANA GRANDE: (Singing) And it's not like I'm still not over you. It's so strange, this I never do.
THOMPSON: Then, of course, there's Taylor Swift. She doubled the size of her last album, "The Tortured Poets Department," just a few hours after its release last year. The expansion of "Swag" has already achieved one desired effect on the Billboard charts. Thanks to fans streaming all those new songs, the album leaps from No. 17 to No. 4. Stephen Thompson, NPR Music.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "YUKON")
BIEBER: (Singing) Slide city, slide city, you know what that means? I'm coming up on you quickly. I bring nice things. Slide city, slide city, plenty other men tryna get in the bed. So I'ma get slouched instead. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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