Justin Bieber's midnight album drop becomes a no-show as fans left hanging

Justin Bieber promised fans a surprise album release at midnight Thursday, but "SWAG II" has failed to materialise on streaming platforms, leaving devoted listeners refreshing their apps with nothing to show for it.

The pop superstar shocked his fanbase on Thursday morning when he casually dropped the bombshell announcement around 10 am ET via social media. The album was billed as the highly anticipated follow-up to his surprise July release "SWAG" - his first full-length project in four years.

But as Friday morning dawns, Bieber's Spotify and iTunes pages remain conspicuously unchanged. The promised midnight release has turned into a midnight mystery.

Adding fuel to the confusion, the 31-year-old artist posted cryptic Instagram Stories updates just hours before the supposed drop time, revealing he was "still making edits" and preparing to submit the final product. That last-minute scramble now appears to have derailed the entire launch.

The missing album follows the same surprise-announcement strategy that worked perfectly for "SWAG" earlier this summer. That release caught fans off-guard after mysterious billboards appeared in Iceland, Atlanta, and Los Angeles featuring Bieber's image alongside the album title.

"SWAG" marked a dramatic artistic pivot for the Canadian singer, showcasing a more introspective sound that reflected his personal journey over recent years. The project saw him collaborating with producers Carter Lang, Dylan Wiggins, Daniel Caesar, mk.gee, Daniel Chetrit, and Knox Fortune, among others.

The original album captured Bieber's evolution as he stepped back from traditional celebrity culture, focusing instead on his marriage to Hailey and their young son, while deepening his faith journey.

Whether "SWAG II" will eventually surface or join the ranks of mysteriously delayed album releases remains unclear. For now, Bieber's millions of followers are left wondering if they'll get their promised musical treat - or if they'll need to wait a little longer for round two of the "SWAG.