JEAN DAWSON: CONTROL & CHAOS
Music has the power to transcend through time and place. It can make you feel a wide range of emotions all at the same time. Jean Dawson’s work inevitably comes to mind when it comes to emerging artists who can blend different genres and sounds, expressing their art through amazing visual flair.
Jean Dawson was born in Mexico and raised in a biracial family. His parents introduced him to hip-hop at a very young age. During his early academic years, he would cross the border to attend school. However, later on, he moved to San Diego with his family.
Growing up, Dawson’s taste in music was partly inspired by his older brother’s playlist. During his teens, he further polished his interest by listening to the works of renowned musicians such as Kanye West, Nirvana, N.E.R.D, and Jay-Z.
Today, Jean Dawson is a singer and rapper known for his hypnotic ability to mash indie rock, hip hop, and trap genres. The singer first started writing his own songs when he discovered Frank Ocean and Bon Iver’s music. Listening to their music encouraged him to experiment with his work and go in different directions.
His debut EP, Bad Sports, came out in 2019 after he worked with the producer and songwriter Lecx Stacy. This brought him the much-needed buzz, and shortly after, he also released Pixel Bath, his debut full-length album in 2020. A song on the album also featured A$AP Rocky as a guest.
When Dawson was asked to describe his music, he went on to say that “Most of the times I don’t even know what people have in mind about what I’m doing, Even though I know what I want to do with my music, I’m unable to give it a name.”
He also believes that just like the rest of the people in his generation, he is also a product of the information age. He calls himself an anime addict and can’t seem to remember the last time he went a day without watching it.
Jean Dawson has been consistent with his work despite the lockdown, and his creative process did not see any downfall. He says it’s because he enjoys working in isolation; however, the way he assesses his work has changed greatly. The singer who often skated around his neighborhood or went on night runs to try and figure out what his record is missing now stays in his living room, chain-smoking his way around it.
His new single “clear bones” is yet another bop and revolves around existential elements. He believes that through this song, he has acknowledged how his life is on a shot clock. Dawson also said life is a constant process of living and dying and whatever is in between is nothing more than wishful thinking.
In the end, Jean Dawson’s musical purpose is very similar to his purpose in life. He believes he has a hard time fully understanding what he intends to do until he has done it.
