Long-awaited Justin Bieber album out in November

Justin Bieber's fourth album will be out on Nov 13. REUTERS

NEW YORK (AFP) - Pop star Justin Bieber will release his latest album in November, after a three-year gap in which he has been better known for his personal troubles than his tunes.

Tidal, the streaming service led by rap mogul Jay-Z, tweeted Wednesday that the new album - Bieber's fourth - will be out on Nov 13, confirming an earlier report on industry news site Hits Daily Double.

The former teen idol has not revealed a release date but has said that the first song - What Do You Mean? - will come out on Aug 28.

The Canadian has enlisted fellow stars in a countdown on social media for the release of the song.

In one snippet, English singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran strums a verse on his acoustic guitar that may be from it: "Since you're running out of time / What do you mean?"

Bieber, whose 66.3 million followers makes him the second most popular figure on Twitter after fellow pop singer Katy Perry, released his last album, Believe, in 2012.

Since then, he has frequently made headlines for his legal run-ins.

Incidents include racing a Lamborghini in Miami Beach while under the influence and without a valid licence, as well as throwing eggs at his neighbour's home in Los Angeles.

A judge in Argentina recently dropped a bid to arrest the 21-year-old for allegedly assaulting a photographer.

Bieber has not announced a title for his latest album but in a recent interview said that the work would be "very personal."

"People will be able to really get into where my heart is," he told Interview magazine last month.

Bieber said that electronic producer Skrillex was bringing "cool effects" to the music including making his voice higher, which will give the album a "really futuristic" sound.

Bieber has also said he is working with prolific rap superstar Kanye West and legendary producer Rick Rubin, who is best known for his work with breakthrough hip hop acts such as the Beastie Boys and Run-DMC.

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