For the past few months I’ve been listening to one artist almost exclusively: Jon Bellion. unlike other media reviews Jon Bellion hasn’t directly released any music since 2018. He has written and produced 5 albums and a handful of singles. His first two albums, Translations Through Speakers and The Definition, were released in 2013. In 2014, he released The Separation; in 2016, he released probably my favorite album: The Human Condition; and the last album he released came out in 2018: Glory Sound Prep.
My top favorite tracks ranked are as follows: “Human” (acoustic), “Conversations with my Wife” [E], “Weight of the World, Hand of God” (outro), “Fashion” [E]. And I’ll give an honorable mention to “Maybe IDK” [E].
Jon Bellion grew steadily popular, climaxing ironically with his top song being “All Time Low,” from the Human Condition.
Jon Bellion is the most talented, dedicated, and genuine artist I’ve come across yet. His talent is shown in his ability to sing, beatbox, play instruments from piano, to use a drum machine, and play “digital trumpets.” Jon Bellion was classically trained in music but, inspired by Kanye West, he decided to drop out of college and pursue a career in music. People can say a lot of things about him and his music, but one thing’s for sure about him: he’s not lazy. He is completely dedicated to his music. He writes the music, creates the beats either with his mouth (beatboxing), or digitally with a drum machine, mixes the beats, and brings talented artists together to collaborate with song, rap, or instrumentals.
Whether it’s time spent in the studio, or conversations he’s had during interviews, or the process in which he writes lyrics, I only have one word to describe what he does: genuine. I cannot think of a better word when it comes to Bellion. He sings from his heart, and puts everything into every track of every album; each sound decision is intentional and emotionally motivated. The reason he hasn’t released an album in 5 years is because he does what he wants: writing music, not appealing to fanfare. Jon Bellion has not stopped making music, in fact he’s worked behind the scenes working on various projects producing everything from beats to lyrics for several top charts artists: Justin Beiber, Katy Perry, Halsey, Andy Grammar to name a few.
If you read any reviews on Jon Bellion, the term genre-blending comes up. This is the first thing many listeners come to understand, although they cannot properly explain his music to their friends. I face a similar dilemma, and I can tell you all the things I love about Jon Bellion and the music he writes, but until you actually listen to him you won’t know. His music is a blend of electronic, hip hop, rhythm, and pop, And his lyrics cover a range of issues about love, faith, and the human condition.
Another question that new listeners ask is why his lyrics are explicit, since he simultaneously discusses issues about faith, similar to some of NF’s music.
Jon Bellion identifies as a Christian, although this doesn't make him a contemporary worship artist. While I don’t seek out explicit music, I find that the way he uses explicit language is natural and used as a means of genuine expression rather than merely for the sake of shock value. That being said, this article is not an endorsement of explicit music. Both Bellion's faith and his language are both a part of the content of his music, but neither greatly influence the quality of his music. I don't avoid him because he cusses now and then and I don't listen to him merely because he identifies as a Christian.
It's difficult for me to pick one reason why I love Jon Bellion. As a musician he's a purist concerned with the art, and abandons the industry when fame gets in the way of his pursuit of music creativity. As a writer he's incredibly talented, able to tell engaging stories, and able to share visceral experiences that resonate with listeners like myself. And as a producer, he's fully invested, not sacrificing the beat or rhythm for the sake of the lyrics.
I don’t expect this article to add Bellion to your playlist, but I challenge you to listen to one of the 5 songs I mentioned. Not everyone will like all of his songs, but you’d be hard pressed to find a person who doesn’t recognize this man’s incredible talent as an artist.
If you end up listening to his music as a result of this article, please send me an email: I'd love to know your thoughts if you have any.