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Jean Dawson

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Jean Dawson
Dawson in November 2022
Dawson in November 2022
Background information
Birth nameDavid Sanders
Born1995 (age 28–29)
United States
OriginLos Angeles
GenresExperimental pop
OccupationMusician
Instrument(s)Piano, guitar
Years active2013–present
LabelsP+
Websitejeandawson.com

Jean Dawson (born 1995) is a Mexican-American experimental pop musician.

Early life

Dawson, whose real name is David Sanders,[1] was born in 1995[2] in the United States and grew up in Tijuana, Mexico.[a] He is of mixed heritage, with an African-American father from Long Beach, California and a Mexican mother from Sinaloa.[5][6] His mother learned English by listening to West Coast hip hop.[5] He would cross the border to San Diego often since he went to elementary school there.[7] He would spend those long bus rides listening to a wide variety of music, including grunge, hip hop, Britpop, new wave, and rock en español.[6] In an interview with MTV's Patrick Hosken, Dawson described himself in school as having never been "the popular kid in school", instead "the kid in the library with one friend. And we'd sit, we'd talk every day about the internet and what we saw on the internet."[8]

Dawson grew up in a musical family, with his parents' interest in each other's culture having been what connected them. This led him to deciding he wanted to make a career out of music at age 13. Growing up in poverty meant he couldn't afford his own instruments, so he would take the bus to a local Guitar Center every day after school and practice piano there.[9]

Career

After finishing high school, Dawson moved to Los Angeles to study film at California State University, Los Angeles.[5] He would buy studio equipment for the money that he was given to buy books, which led to him dropping out to pursue a career in music. While still in college, he would record Bad Sports in his dorm room with his roommate, Lecx Stacy.[10] Essence interviewer Sydney Scott notes the project's influences as including "sonic and visual nods to Outkast, the Cure, Kid Cudi, and Kanye West with the singer-songwriter's taste later being informed by groups like Disturbed, N.E.R.D. and random CDs purchased from thrift stores."[11] The album had a vinyl run, with Dawson later finding a collection of unsold vinyls which he autographed and listed for sale at US$1000, being met with criticism from fans for the high price.[12]

On October 23, 2020, he released his second studio album, Pixel Bath via his independent record label P+.[13]

On June 8, 2021, Dawson was announced as a support act for headliner Brockhampton's US and Europe tour that ran from August 2021 through June 2022.[14] On June 16, Dawson released the Apple Music-exclusive single "Ghost", as part of the music streamer's Juneteenth-inspired Freedom Songs series. Dawson described the song as being "for the people who've felt unseen and unheard", and explained his personal perspective on the holiday, saying it "should never have needed to exist. My ancestors should have never been slaves and built a country that would show to be a curse to my Black skin. Nevertheless, I live in this version of reality where Black folk were and are seen as beasts, devils, and animals. So the day my beautiful Black ancestors were freed is the greatest cause for celebration and reflection." The music video for Pixel Bath track "Dummy" was released the same day, directed by Mowgly Lee and Bradley J. Calder.[15]

On August 19, 2022, he announced his third studio album, Chaos Now and released lead single "Three Heads".[16] He also announced his first headlining US tour for October and November, supported by LA-based duo Junior Varsity.[17][16] Chaos Now released October 7, 2022, via P+.[18]

Style

In an interview with DIY's Elly Watson, Dawson listed his influences as including Kanye West; The Smashing Pumpkins; "Warped Tour shit"; "anything from Manchester" such as the Smiths; New Order; and "all the stuff that felt really Britpop-py", noting that when working on Bad Sports single "Napster" he asked his British producers Hoskins to make the song "feel like Manchester and Compton had a baby", "like if Morrissey was Black."[19] Dawson described his intent for Pixel Bath to sound like "Rick Ross at a '90s rave" or "the Pixies, but the Pixies are at the most trapped-out environment that the Pixies can be at."[8]

Dawson has been described as a "genre-shattering polymath"[20] with an "ability to blend [genres which] comes more naturally than most",[21] having employed a long list of sounds including early 2000s indie rock, trap, R&B,[20] bedroom pop, pop-punk, industrial hip hop, glitch-pop,[22] grunge, shoegaze,[21] alternative rock, hardcore hip hop, underground hip hop,[23] emo, country, and classical.[5] Dawson is also commonly referred to as simply an experimental pop artist.[24][3] Dawson describes his approach by saying "When people ask me what genre I make, I'm like, dude, I don't know" and "What genre of music did Prince make? I'm not comparing myself to Prince—he is a god among humans. But his music was just Prince. It was everything you needed it to be at the time."[5]

Dawson's lyrics cover topics including anxiety, depression, feeling like an outsider, and fragile masculinity.[5]

Personal life

Dawson has three dogs: a Dobermann named Midnight, a French bulldog named Mala, and an English bulldog named Oz.[19] He lives in Inglewood, California.[5]

Discography

Singles

List of singles, showing year released and album name
Year Title Album
2018 "Glacier Gallery"[25] Non-album single
"Bullfighter"[26] Bad Sports
2019 "Napster"[3]
"Blame By Me"[27]
"Ooga Booga"[28] Non-album single
2020 "Bruise Boy"[29] Pixel Bath
"Power Freaks"[30]
"Policía"[31]
"Clear Bones"[32]
"Starface"[33]
"Devilish"[34]
2021 "Ghost" Non-album singles
"Menthol" (featuring Mac DeMarco)[35]
2022 "Porn Acting"[36] Chaos Now
"Three Heads"[37]
"Pirate Radio"[38]
"Sick of It"[39]
"Bad Fruit"[40]

Notes

  1. ^ It has been claimed that Dawson was born in Tijuana[3] but he calls this a common misconception.[4]

References

  1. ^ Carcoba, Gabriel (August 24, 2022). "Jean Dawson alcanza su mejor momento en "Three Heads*"" [Jean Dawson hits his prime in "Three Heads*"]. JeNeSaisPop.com (in Spanish). Retrieved October 27, 2022.
  2. ^ Kayden, Sean (April 14, 2020). "LA-via-Tijuana juggernaut Jean Dawson explores self-control on blazing single "Power Freaks"". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved August 26, 2022.
  3. ^ a b c Ely, Paulette (February 15, 2019). "Flaunt Premiere | Jean Dawson "Napster"". Flaunt. Retrieved September 25, 2022.
  4. ^ Fantano, Anthony (January 21, 2021). Jean Dawson Interview. Retrieved September 23, 2022.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g Wally, Maxine (October 6, 2022). "Jean Dawson Controls the Chaos". W. Retrieved October 7, 2022.
  6. ^ a b Fernández, Stefanie (October 23, 2020). "A "Black Björk": Jean Dawson Reintroduces Himself on Pixel Bath". Remezcla. Retrieved September 23, 2022.
  7. ^ "Best New Artists of the Month (August)". Complex. August 26, 2019. Retrieved September 23, 2022.
  8. ^ a b Hosken, Patrick (July 27, 2020). "Jean Dawson Wants His Debut Album to Sound Like Rick Ross at a Rave". MTV. Retrieved September 25, 2022.
  9. ^ "Rising Artists Who Rocked Coachella: Get to Know Holly Humberstone, Wallows and Jean Dawson". Variety. April 25, 2022. Retrieved September 23, 2022.
  10. ^ Deaderick, Lisa (April 11, 2021). "San Diego Singer-Songwriter Explores Ethnicity, Social Justice in His Music". San Diego Union Tribune. Retrieved October 31, 2022. In college, Stacy executive produced the critically acclaimed album (Bad Sports) of his college roommate, Jean Dawson.
  11. ^ Scott, Sydney (December 6, 2020). "Jean Dawson Is Open to Interpretation". Essence. Retrieved September 23, 2022.
  12. ^ Fine, Freddie (March 14, 2022). "How Musicians Can Learn From Jean Dawson's $1,000 Limited Edition Bad Sports Vinyl Release". Sheesh. Retrieved September 23, 2022.
  13. ^ Williams, Jenessa (October 27, 2020). "Jean Dawson – Pixel Bath review: LA-based innovator comes good on an expansive expression of the self". NME. Retrieved September 23, 2022.
  14. ^ Rossignol, Derrick (June 8, 2021). "Brockhampton Announces a Bunch of 2022 Tour Dates With Support From Jean Dawson". Uproxx. Retrieved September 25, 2022.
  15. ^ McInnes, Laura (June 16, 2021). "Jean Dawson shares Apple Music exclusive single "Ghost*" + "Dummy" music video". Sniffers. Retrieved September 25, 2022.
  16. ^ a b c "Jean Dawson Announces New Album Chaos Now*". DIY. August 19, 2022. Retrieved August 19, 2022.
  17. ^ Velasco, Matthew (August 19, 2022). "Jean Dawson Announces New Album Chaos Now* and Headline Tour". VMan. Retrieved September 25, 2022.
  18. ^ Swann, Emma (October 7, 2022). "Jean Dawson - Chaos Now*". DIY. Retrieved October 7, 2022.
  19. ^ a b Watson, Elly (November 11, 2020). "Jean Dawson: "I Want It to Feel Like Manchester and Compton Had a Baby. I Want It to Be Like if Morrissey Was Black"". DIY. Retrieved September 25, 2022.
  20. ^ a b Thomas, Fred. "Jean Dawson - Pixel Bath". AllMusic. Retrieved August 19, 2022.
  21. ^ a b Williams, Jenessa (October 27, 2020). "Jean Dawson - Pixel Bath review: LA-based innovator comes good on an expansive expression of the self". NME. Retrieved August 19, 2022.
  22. ^ Kohner, Kyle (October 28, 2020). "Album Review: Jean Dawson - Pixel Bath". Beats Per Minute. Retrieved August 19, 2022.
  23. ^ Helfand, Raphael (August 19, 2022). "Jean Dawson Announces New Album, Shares "Three Heads*"". The Fader. Retrieved August 27, 2022.
  24. ^ Bloom, Madison (December 10, 2021). "Mac DeMarco Joins Jean Dawson for New Song "Menthol"". Pitchfork. Retrieved August 27, 2022.
  25. ^ Prickett, Macon (April 11, 2018). "Jean Dawson Releases Debut Single "Glacial Gallery"". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved October 29, 2022.
  26. ^ Tulay, Rasheed (May 31, 2018). "Jean Dawson debuts boastful new single "Bullfighter"". Earmilk. Retrieved October 29, 2022.
  27. ^ ""Blame By Me"". Spotify. Retrieved October 29, 2022.
  28. ^ Aku, Timmhotep (December 2, 2019). "Jean Dawson Defies Genre and Expectations With "Ooga Booga"". Afropunk. Retrieved October 27, 2022.
  29. ^ Hahn, Bryan (February 12, 2020). "Jean Dawson Is Carelessly in Love in His "Bruise Boy" Video". The Fader. Retrieved August 19, 2022.
  30. ^ Kayden, Sean (April 14, 2020). "LA-via-Tijuana Juggernaut Jean Dawson Explores Self-Control on Blazing Single "Power Freaks"". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved August 19, 2022.
  31. ^ Ingvaldsen, Torsten (June 9, 2020). "Jean Dawson Targets Police Brutality in New Single "Policía"". Hypebeast. Retrieved August 19, 2022.
  32. ^ Scott, Ruby (June 25, 2020). "Jean Dawson Ponders Life and Death in "Clear Bones"". Ones to Watch. Retrieved August 19, 2022.
  33. ^ Lim, Eddy (September 23, 2020). "Jean Dawson shares new single "Starface*", announces debut studio album". NME. Retrieved August 19, 2022.
  34. ^ Droke, Carolyn (October 23, 2020). "Jean Dawson Runs Away From Personal Demons in His Monster-Filled "Devilish" Video". Uproxx. Retrieved August 19, 2022.
  35. ^ Robinson, Ellie (December 11, 2021). "Jean Dawson links up with Mac DeMarco for gritty new single "Menthol*"". NME. Retrieved September 3, 2022.
  36. ^ "Jean Dawson Bring Us a New Massive Single "Porn Acting*"". Out Now. February 27, 2022. Retrieved September 24, 2022.
  37. ^ Helfand, Raphael (August 19, 2022). "Jean Dawson Announces New Album, Shares "Three Heads*"". The Fader. Retrieved August 27, 2022.
  38. ^ Chelosky, Danielle (September 16, 2022). "Jean Dawson Shows His Serious Side on the Emotionally Charged "Pirate Radio*"". Uproxx. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
  39. ^ Cotter, John (September 29, 2022). "Jean Dawson is "Sick of It*" ahead of upcoming album Chaos Now*". Our Generation Music. Retrieved September 29, 2022.
  40. ^ ""Bad Fruit*"". Spotify. Retrieved October 29, 2022.