Gemma Cockrell
There was always a risk that jxdn’s music career would forever be shrouded by his TikTok reputation. From being arrested along with Bryce Hall last year, to the recent drama surrounding his relationship status, there was a risk that his TikTok persona would shatter his chances of being taken seriously as a musician.
After listening to this album you will believe that Jaden Hossler was born and bred to be a rockstar
However, on ‘Tell Me About Tomorrow’, the music does the talking. And it’s evident that jxdn isn’t making music as a simple cash grab following his popularity on social media. On the contrary, after listening to this album you will believe that Jaden Hossler was born and bred to be a rockstar.
Many prominent figures in the industry seem to agree. Machine Gun Kelly and Travis Barker joined jxdn in the studio in the making of this record. MGK features on the track WANNA BE, as well as inviting jxdn to support him on tour this Autumn. Meanwhile, Barker signed jxdn to his DTA record label after hearing just one of his songs.
Across the 18-track project, jxdn demonstrates that he also has an abundance of song-writing ability in comparison to many of his fellow TikTokers-turned-musicians
It seems that jxdn isn’t making pop punk music just because the genre is experiencing a revival. Instead, it’s clear that he has a natural talent for the sound, with his voice lending itself incredibly well to the guitar riffs and pounding drums that drive the genre.
Across the 18-track project, jxdn demonstrates that he also has an abundance of song-writing ability in comparison to many of his fellow TikTokers-turned-musicians. He receives writing credits on every single track on the record. Sure, he had some additional help from industry greats, but this does not take anything away from his talent.
A WASTED YEAR features writing credits from three Blink-182 members – Mark Hoppus, Tom DeLonge and Travis Barker- because it is an interpolation of the band’s iconic 2003 hit Feeling This. The song is therefore, unsurprisingly, extremely reminiscent of the band’s sound. No one has quite captured that same level of energy since Blink-182 did it themselves.
The album doesn’t particularly modify or challenge the traditional tropes of the pop punk genre. For example, no pop punk album is complete without a heartfelt acoustic album closer, and here, this comes in the form of the album’s title track. However, ‘Tell Me About Tomorrow’ executes this trope, along with many others, excellently.
Every song on the record is irresistibly catchy, with a singalong hook and bucket-loads of angst. Look to ANGELS & DEMONS, another highlight of ‘Tell Me About Tomorrow’. The guitars at the start are instantly haunting and foreboding, before jxdn’s belting of “So f*ck me like a rockstar, dancing on a cop car / Nothing in the world can stop me now”.
Sure, he spends the majority of this song, as well as a large portion of the album, talking about his lavish lifestyle as a self-proclaimed “rockstar”. However, his identity as a rockstar cannot be disputed when the music that he is releasing supports his claim as well as ‘Tell Me About Tomorrow’ does.
I know that this is a bold statement, but this album contains some of the best pop punk music that has been released in years. If Travis Barker is convinced that jxdn is the future, then that’s good enough for me. And if this is what the pop punk revival is bringing, then I can only hope that it is here to stay.
Gemma Cockrell
Featured image courtesy of Paul Hudson via Flickr. Image license found here. No changes were made to this image.
In-article images courtesy of @jadenhossler via instagram.com. No changes were made to these images.
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