Rating: 8.5/10

Highlights: Human, Run Wild, A Haunted House, Luxury ft. Audra Mae

*Explicit Content*

I normally don’t stray from my preference of music. I listen to a wide variety of songs, but they all derive from 80s pop, 90s alternative, or a Disney soundtrack. It wasn’t until I downloaded Spotify that I really began to listen to all different types of music. Spotify is both a blessing and a curse; there are constant ads (if you are not paying $9.99 a month for a premium membership), but these ads promote music that I never thought I would be interested in. This includes Jon Bellion. I first heard the unique beat of “Luxury” in a commercial that interrupted my regular Hall & Oates, Green Day, and Idina Menzel. I was hooked instantly and decided that the somewhat rap, somewhat indie album was worth stepping out of my comfort zone for.

The Definition was released in September of 2014 from Capital Records. It begins with “Munny Right,” a song that Bellion wrote to describe how he felt going into the music producing business. He was scared and completely unsure how to handle the new feelings. This isn’t one of my favorites off of the album, but it certainly gives a thorough message about confidence helping you thrive through the hard times. The conclusion to the second verse is inspiring and shows how far Bellion has come: “I’ve been working, I deserve this/Yeah, I’m not afraid to say” and continues into the chorus with “I said wait ‘til I get my money right/Then you can’t tell me nothin’, right?”

“Human” was the next song that stood out to me. The chorus “I’m just so sick of being human” really describes half the population. This song, though upbeat and humorous, really tugs on my heartstrings. Being a human is very tiring, and Bellion describes it perfectly. Following this song is “Run Wild,” another song that caught my attention quite quickly. I related to each and every word that Bellion sang and spoke. In this song, a girl’s relationship is compared to a religion. It was her lifestyle, and he tackles how hard it is to recover from losing that. “Holy versus in his kiss/He was your bible,” and “Such a hopeful Eve/But Adam let you down” are two lines that really stress this concept. Bellion is very good at comparing events in his life or inspiration for songs through metaphors. The chorus is also captivating with its unique tempo: “Gave it up for him/But only just to let you down/To let you down/Yeah, he let you…/Now you wanna run wild.”

“A Haunted House” is by far my favorite. Bellion uses his metaphor strength to describe a relationship in which he feels safe from his past heartaches. There are several scary movie references throughout the song, such as “You were the preacher in an exorcism movie/That corny theme song always plays when you’re next to me/Like who ya gonna call?” I love the idea of Bellion’s mind being a house, and his exes are the ghosts that are haunting it. We all need to find that person that makes us realize that we’re going to be okay. “Cause since you walked through my door/This ain’t a haunted house no more.” I admire him for enticing me enough to ignore my hatred for double negatives.

The album concludes with “Luxury,” the song that inspired me to listen to this album in the first place. The song is a follow up to Bellion’s first track on the album, “Munny Right.” In my opinion, this was an excellent way to finish the album. The connection between the two songs is incredible. “Munny Right” focuses on the fear and the insecurities, while “Luxury” shows how Bellion has come a long way to feel comfortable with what he is doing with his life. I’d quote each line of this song if I could. I strongly urge anyone to listen to it, no matter what your music taste is. Personally, my favorite part is the second version of the chorus: “We’re not sad at all/We know you have to leave but we’re not mad at all/You’ll be back in town and we’ll play basketball/And if you fall off track we’ll be your Adderall/We won’t your soul drown in luxury.” This song, whether you’re personally in a luxurious field or not, can give you a sensation of comfort. There’s something about hearing the message “it’s going to be okay” from a musical artist that creates a calming atmosphere.

Overall, The Definition is not just a definition of Bellion’s life, but one that many people can relate to as well. I think it is incredibly powerful when an artist can do that; almost as if they were writing the lyrics specifically for you. I hope Bellion receives the attention he deserves with this album, and that the future contains even more of his metaphors that we all can relate to.