The Fall of Hobo Johnson

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The Fall of Hobo Johnson
Studio album by
Hobo Johnson
ReleasedSeptember 13, 2019
GenreRap, spoken word
LabelWarner
Hobo Johnson chronology
The Rise of Hobo Johnson
(2016) 		The Fall of Hobo Johnson
(2019) 		The Revenge of Hobo Johnson
(2021)
Singles from The Fall of Hobo Johnson
  1. "Typical Story"
  2. "Uglykid"
  3. "Subaru Crosstrek XV"

The Fall of Hobo Johnson is the third album by American musician Hobo Johnson, released on September 13, 2019.

It is his first major-label album.[1] It was preceded by the singles "Typical Story" and "Uglykid".[2][3]

Content[edit]

The Fall of Hobo Johnson is a departure stylistically from Johnson's previous album, incorporating more musical elements instead of the first album's predominantly spoken word focus.[4] The album explores a wide range of genres and influences, with ABC's Debbie Carr saying that "From hard rock and punk to rap, jazz and neo-soul, there’s a multitude of influences trickling into all twelve tracks."[3] Thematically, the album covers the theme of "raw, unadulterated emotions: anger, sadness, lust, self-hatred, [and] longing", among others.[5]

Album opener and lead single "Typical Story" is a rap rock song[6] with lyrics telling a "wildly improbable tale", and what NPR's Robin Hilton described as a "ridiculously catchy group chorus".[7] "Uglykid" is a "jazzy slow jam", and features electropop artist and singer-songwriter Elohim.[2]

The song "You & the Cockroach" is in a slam poetry style,[3] and contains lyrics humorously covering the topics of religion, government,[8] and then-president Donald Trump's interactions with North Korea.[4]

"Subaru Crosstrek XV" is a "playful story-song" with lyrics praising Johnson's Subaru Crosstrek.[9] The Atlantic's Spencer Kornhaber said the song was a "rejoinder to hip-hop boasting", comparing it to the satirical hits made by the rapper Macklemore.[10]

The song "Ode to Justin Bieber" contains lyrics relating to singer Justin Bieber's struggles with fame at a young age.[11] "February 15th" is a short breakup song recorded live.[6] "Sorry, My Dear" contains lyrics referencing suicide, and uses "robotic vocal manipulation" alongside explosive passages of drums and guitars, in what Kornhaber calls "an inversion of the suffering-worship behind '90s and 2000s nu metal".[10]

The album closer "I Want a Dog" is about Johnson's tendency of setting unrealistically high expectations of what he wants in life, and not being able to be satisfied with what he has.[1]

Release and singles[edit]

"Typical Story", released as a single in the leadup to the album's release,[3] reached the No. 30 spot on Billboard's US Hot Rock Songs chart[12] and No. 25 on the US Alternative Songs chart.[13]

The album itself debuted at No. 99 on the US Billboard 200,[14] and No. 98 in the United Kingdom.[15]

Reception[edit]

Critical reception[edit]

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[16]
NME[6]
Pitchfork3.6/10[17]

In a positive review, NME's Will Lavin praised the album's relatability and humor and Johnson's "addictive persona", comparing the sonic textures and personality of the record to Macklemore and Chance the Rapper, while criticizing moments he felt were too left-field and poorly arranged on "Ode to Justin Bieber" and "Sorry, My Dear".[6]

In a mixed review, AllMusic's Timothy Monger said that despite there being an "odd sweetness to [Johnson's] rants", the album is "a kitchen sink of unfocused ideas" which "nervously pings in too many directions to really make an impact.[16]

Accolades[edit]

Publication List Rank Ref.
The Needle Drop Top 50 Albums of 2019
30
[18]

Track listing[edit]

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Typical Story"Hobo Johnson, Jason Evigan3:11
2."Mover Awayer"Johnson, Evigan, Patrick Wimberly3:36
3."Uglykid" (feat. Elohim)Johnson, Evigan, David Baez-Lopez, Derek Lynch3:01
4."You & the Cockroach"Johnson4:02
5."Subaru Crosstrek XV"Johnson, Ryan Lewis, Phillip Peterson, Josh Rawlings2:35
6."Moonlight"Johnson, Christian James Gates‐Bahlhom, Jordan Moore2:48
7."Happiness"Johnson3:16
8."All in My Head"Johnson, Evigan3:16
9."Ode to Justin Bieber" (feat. Jack Shoot & JMSEY)Johnson, Lynch, James Nguyen3:45
10."February 15th"Johnson1:49
11."Sorry, My Dear"Johnson, Baez-Lopez, Lynch, Lerch3:46
12."I Want a Dog"Johnson2:30

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Hobo Johnson (September 17, 2019). "Hobo Johnson's Journey From Homelessness To A Major Label Contract" (Interview). Interviewed by Boilen, Bob.
  2. ^ a b "Hobo Johnson Goes Jazzy On New Single 'UglyKid' From His Next Album". CoolAccidents.com. Cool Accidents. July 24, 2019. Retrieved July 30, 2019.
  3. ^ a b c d Carr, Debbie (2019-09-13). "Wrap your ears around The Fall of Hobo Johnson, new album from the man himself". Retrieved 2023-03-16.
  4. ^ a b Boes, Anna. ""The Fall of Hobo Johnson" is far from the truth". Retrieved 2023-03-16.
  5. ^ Schreurs, Caleb. "MAXIMUM EMOTIONS, The Album: The Fall of Hobo Johnson, Hobo Johnson". The Dordt Diamond. p. 8.
  6. ^ a b c d Lavin, Will (2019-09-06). "Hobo Johnson – 'The Fall of Hobo Johnson' review". Retrieved 2023-03-20.
  7. ^ Hilton, Robin (June 21, 2019). "Hobo Johnson Raps A 'Typical Story' For All Of The Misfits". NPR. Retrieved 2023-03-20.
  8. ^ Hauntly, Brian. "Premiere: Hobo Johnson Gets Political With Wild Animated Video For 'You & The Cockroach'". Retrieved 2023-03-16.
  9. ^ Kaufman, Gil. "Why Hobo Johnson Didn't Try to Cash In on His 'Subaru Crosstrek' Song, Even Though It's 'Kind of Already an Ad'". Billboard. Retrieved 2021-07-06.
  10. ^ a b Kornhaber, Spencer (2019-10-24). "When Music's Sad Boys Chase Happiness". Retrieved 2023-03-20.
  11. ^ M.S., Caleb (March 3, 2020). "Justin Bieber Changes review: what has changed?". The Dordt Diamond. p. 8. Retrieved 2023-03-20.
  12. ^ "Hot Rock Songs - Week of July 6, 2019". Billboard. Retrieved July 2, 2019.
  13. ^ "Alternative Airplay: September 14, 2019". Billboard. Retrieved March 20, 2023.
  14. ^ @billboardcharts (September 23, 2019). "Debuts on this week's #Billboard200 (2/2)" (Tweet). Retrieved September 24, 2019 – via Twitter.
  15. ^ "Hobo Johnson | full Official Chart history". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 21, 2019.
  16. ^ a b Monger, Timothy. "The Fall of Hobo Johnson". AllMusic. Retrieved March 16, 2023.
  17. ^ Pierre, Alphonse (2019-09-19). "The Fall of Hobo Johnson Album Review". Retrieved 2023-11-13.
  18. ^ Fantano, Anthony (December 21, 2019). "Top 50 Albums of 2019". The Needle Drop. YouTube. Retrieved March 16, 2023.
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