After four mixtapes, Bellion’s first full album is the quintessential high school anthem. It isn’t entirely surface-level, but it is just the requisite amount of naive. It flows throughout, and Bellion is outstanding; where the album ebbs, his talent and ability to ride his catchy instrumentals shines through. Bellion is well on his way to a successful career as a pop artist if he writes meaningful lyrics.
“The Human Condition” is supposedly a nod to Bellion’s intention of singing to the human experience. There are references to love, loss, religion and Bellion serves as a great chauffeur through each of these detours.
In “All Time Low,” he is missing a girl from his past, going through all the mistakes he made and how the longing makes him feel. Bellion is as self-deprecating — ”You’re the reason I’m alone and masturbate ”— as he is humanizing.
On “Woke The F—k Up,” he sings about waking up in the middle of the night, realizing he needs a girl from his past. It is a commentary on human emotion as well as a confessional, where Bellion says, “We live in an age where everything is staged / Where all we do is stage our feelings.” Maybe this is where the album feels like a high school anthem and very naive; Bellion is constantly referencing heartbreak and regularly invoking his high school life and desires.
With “80’s Films,” Bellion rides a collage of 80’s film and pop culture metaphors to look back on his high school experience. The rhythm is infectious and Bellion’s voice is beautiful, but, as is the case with much of the album, the subject matter just is not compelling enough.
No debut album, however, would be complete without a nod to the artist’s roots. “He Is The Same” is Bellion’s way of saying his newfound fame still has not changed who he once was to both his fans and peers, while “New York Soul (Part II)” is an homage to Bellion’s Long Island upbringing. On the latter track, Bellion demonstrates some rapping chops, rhyming over a beat intended to make room for both his rapping and a guest chorus from Alec Benjamin. It’s awkward, a little corny but ultimately charming; he’s not bad and he raps like he knows it.
The album also gets lofty, like on “Fashion.” Here, Bellion comments on a culture consumed by materialism. Fashion is used as the greatest example of this obsession. This song contains another reference to Bellion’s high school desires as playing a motivational role in his career.
“Morning in America” is the album’s most anthemic song, referencing high school, in-house family problems and girls all in an attempt to summarize the trials and tribulations of life in America.
Not mentioning the album’s tremendous outro would be an irresponsible slight. “Hand of God (Outro)” borrows lines from many of the album’s earlier songs, riding the choir from Michael Jackson’s “Man in the Mirror,” to summarize the entire album. Bellion admits to growing pains, saying “I am just a man / Who lusts, gives, tries / Sometimes I lose my way.” Ultimately, he places his trust in God to guide him.
Bellion wears his heart on his sleeve, which is as clear throughout the album as him not having much fruit to bear in terms of intellectual discovery. This is fine, but too expected. Bellion is ambitious, inquisitive, young and a compelling vocalist. His career is well worth tracking, where hopefully more experience will lend itself to more interesting lyrical composition.
Read More
In Luca Guadagnino’s “Challengers,” the score is love, all
By Caroline Lee | 2 days agoThe film, one of the year’s most anticipated releases, follows a decade-long love triangle between three tennis prodigies, tracking them across the years through triumphs and defeats.
Shaking, not stirring, things up — the past and future of James Bond
By Caroline Lee | 2 days agoFirst year College student Lucas Stocks said that changes across performers and performances adds excitement to the experience of going to the movies.
U.Va.’s Aerial Dance Club is taking artistry to new heights
By Charlotte Walden | 5 days agoSince the group’s initial founding in 2012, the club has masterfully weaved Aerial into the fabric of the University dance scene, beautifully showcasing the unique and intricate artform on Grounds.
