Album Critique: Jonatan by Yung Lean
Swedish rapper Yung Lean, a prominent figure in the early cloud rap era, has released his latest album, "Jonatan." The album, named after his real first name, showcases a different sound compared to his previous works.
One of the standout tracks on the album is "Horses," a deeply personal and emotional song that reflects Yung Lean's soulful connection to horses and music. The track starts with a catchy dark guitar chord progression, evoking feelings of sadness, and features lyrics such as "wild horses keep pulling me away from you."
The album, as a whole, is described as a raw and reflective journey through themes of grief, memory, and rebirth[1][4]. While specific details about the song's story or direct inspiration have not been fully detailed in the available sources, the mention of Yung Lean's "soulful connection" to horses suggests that the term "horses" symbolizes something meaningful in his emotional or artistic journey, possibly linked to freedom, strength, or healing.
The album exhibits a positive pattern of catchy songs, with "Forever Yung," "Paranoid Paparazzi," "Teenage Symphonies 4 God (God Will Only)," and "Terminator Symphony" being other notable tracks. The latter has a funky plucking chord progression and a beautiful ending, while the former has an upbeat vibe that is reminiscent of Yung Lean's earlier work.
"Might Not B" has a heavy synth beat similar to some of his past works, and "babyface maniacs" has nice backing vocals. "My Life" is a calm song, adding diversity to the album's sound. The album ends with "Lessons from Above," a farewell to another beautiful project by Yung Lean.
Yung Lean's career took off with his first single "lavender" and his 2013 song "Ginseng Strip 2002," which gained popularity and marked the start of his career[2]. His last solo album was released in 2022 titled "stardust."
Although the album may not appeal to listeners immediately, the reviewer recommends giving it another chance. After multiple listens and a thorough review, the album grew on the reviewer and is now highly appreciated[3].
[1] https://www.complex.com/music/2023/03/yung-lean-jonatan-album-review [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yung_Lean [3] https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/yung-lean-jonatan/
In the personal and emotional track "Horses" from Yung Lean's latest album "Jonatan," he references wild horses symbolizing a deep connection, possibly linked to freedom, strength, or healing. Besides "Horses," the album offers a pattern of catchy songs such as "Forever Yung," "Paranoid Paparazzi," and "Terminator Symphony," where the latter has a funky plucking chord progression and a beautiful ending.
