Album Review: Jon Bellion and The Human Condition
Photo courtesy of genius.com.

Album Review: Jon Bellion and The Human Condition

A new artist in the world of music, Jon Bellion, brilliantly mashes electronic sounds with human made sounds to take the listener to another place in time.

A converted Christian, Bellion crafts his songs to have a positive feel, while mixing it up with some heavier lyrics.

No two songs of his are the same. They all have their own distinct use of sounds. From high layers of harmonies to a driving electronic base beat, it will make you want to get up and dance.

The album opener, “He is the Same,” starts out with a high-pitched beeping noise that stays constant throughout. Layering over the beeping sound, a beatboxer gets the driving beat started which is later replaced by an electronic bass.

Throughout the first verse, Bellion continues to layer more sounds, using brass instruments with just a hint of an orchestra.

Bellion’s tenor voice floats above the music.

At the end of the song, Bellion hits some incredibly high notes, making it sound breathy and not like his own. Bellion ends by manipulating his voice, making it echo and ripple as it fades out.

Lyric wise, “He is the Same” talks about struggles that the protagonist faces in their personal life, yet the protagonist tries to convince themselves that everything is still the same. They don’t want to face their problems.

“Weight of the World,” the ninth song on the album, has a completely different feel.

With guest artist Blaque Keyz, Bellion explores choral voices and acoustic guitars to complement his own voice.

Right away a large choir echoes him in the background. The strums of the acoustic guitar and later piano sets the mood for this song as a more somber, yet heartwarming tone.

The song is a plea, saying that the protagonist can’t do everything.

In the instrumental interlude, the acoustics start to fade out until all that is left is the choir vocals. Out of nowhere, the beat hits you like a brick wall and Blaque Keyz starts a short rap that ends the song.

The final song, “Hand of God- outro,” brings back the bass beat, but twists in Bellion’s Christian beliefs.

He smashes all his different sounds and his guest artists together in this final song. Orchestra accompaniment, full choir, bass beats, electronic sounds, it’s a music overload.

The lyrics speak of not losing faith, that if you fall, pick yourself back up and start again. No matter what you’re struggling, you don’t have to be perfect.

Halfway through the song, he makes a reference to a few of his songs on the album, tying the whole album together, making it feel complete.

A gorgeous tenor that is not Bellion, riffs above the music, making it the icing on top of the cake. At the very end, there is a final beep, tying it back to the first song.

Overall, this is a must have album. The lyrics are relatable and the groovy beats will have you dancing in no time. You can’t go wrong with Jon Bellion.

Nicole Congdon

Contributer

nicole.a.congdon@uwsp.edu

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