You may have heard the song “The Monster” by Eminem featuring Rihanna. Yeah, that song went #1 in 12 countries, including the U.S. Guess who wrote it, Jon Bellion and Bebe Rexha. While the latter has now assimilated into the mainstream, Jon Bellion has purposefully wandered on the edge. He has released 3 mixtapes and only one real radio single, All Time Low, which has hit #32 on the Billboard Hot 100 and is still climbing.

His debut album, “The Human Condition”, landed in June 2016, but the album’s impact will exist well beyond 2020 at least. Songs like All Time Low and 80’s Films work as perfect counter-programming of the typical pop formula, and since pop radio is picking up the former, they seem to have allowed Bellion to rise against them.

His music speaks volumes in a different way. Unlike most of today’s Top 40 music, he croons about self-identity and chasing your dreams, and just to please the masses, a tad of love. The lyrics of his song IRobot speak the most volume,

Cause I had a fire, passion and desire<br> Now all I require are circuits and wires<br> Inside was an ocean of soul and emotion<br> Then you cut me open, now all that I know is
― Jon Bellion – ​iRobot

The lyrics above may be interpreted differently, but Bellion is no doubt crooning the loss of individualism in a society rooted in being the same. It’s important that our generation can hear these statements and find some peace in them.

Another high-powered, controversial but delicate song “Woke The F*** Up” has the most debilitating look at how teens grow up:

We live in an age where everything is staged<br> Where all we do is fake our feelings<br> I’ve been scared to put myself so out there<br> Time is running out, yeah<br> Need to let you know, that
― Jon Bellion – Woke the Fuck Up

Sonically he builds on his style of brash instrumentals and smooth vocalistic flares throughout the album. His sound compliments his thematic representation of our generation and our fight for identity. Hopefully with All Time Low climbing the charts fast, maybe the mainstream can learn a bit in the next few months.