Magic Man (Jackson Wang album)

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Magic Man
Digital cover
Studio album by
Jackson Wang
ReleasedSeptember 9, 2022
Genre
Length27:23
LanguageEnglish
Label
Producer
Jackson Wang chronology
Lost & Found
(2022) 		Magic Man
(2022)
Singles from Magic Man
  1. "Blow"
    Released: March 31, 2022
  2. "Cruel"
    Released: July 29, 2022

Magic Man is the second studio album by Hong Kong recording artist Jackson Wang. It was released on September 9, 2022, through Team Wang Records, 88rising and Warner Records. Debuting at number 5 in South Korea and number 15 in the United States, the album received positive reviews from critics, who complimented Wang's vocal experimentation and new sound.

Background[edit]

I think [Magic Man] is the ultimate form. Because I went through all this stuff around me, in every way possible... I've been through so much that people know about and some people don't know about. It's like fighting through but it's the different stages of fighting through and ultimately, I became this adjective of a feeling, this abstract image of 'Magic Man.' [...] I think a Magic Man to everybody is the ultimate form of yourself, of fighting through everything. Your loneliness, your sadness, your obstacles. You've just got to fight through that and be you. And then you're the Magic Man. [...] The message is that everyone goes through stuff, everyone has their own problems. Sometimes it's okay to say you're not okay. And you can solve it, you can conquer it, you can be the Magic Man, you will be that ultimate form of yourself.

— Jackson Wang, Rolling Stone India, September 2022[1]

Preparations for Wang's second full-length studio album began in spring 2020[2] with the aim of publishing it by the end of the year.[3] Between 2020 and 2021, the singer experienced a mental breakdown, during which he began to feel lost, didn't know who he was and what he was doing, and thought he was not good enough or not working hard enough.[4][5][6] After a year and a half,[7] he started overcoming it by confiding his problems to friends for the first time, and the feeling of rebirth led him to decide to leave behind his former self, as a person and artist, and start over,[6] wanting to show the public a more honest side of himself, whether good or bad.[8] The release of the album was moved to August 2021,[9] then in the autumn of the same year,[10] and further postponed after deciding to delete and re-do eight songs.[11] It was finally announced on July 29 for September 9, 2022, along with the tracklist.[12][13]

Wang's burnout is the inspiration for most of the album, which is about embarking on a journey of exploration and research of the new self,[5] introducing Jackson Wang's present persona.[5][11][14] The title was announced in the final credits of the music video for "Drive You Home", a single released on July 29, 2021,[15][16][17] accompanied by the subtitle "The longer the night lasts, the more our dreams will be."[15] On April 26, 2022, the last song on the album was replaced and created;[18] the singer decided the entire direction of the record, as well as writing the lyrics and composing every track.[19] The recording sessions for each song lasted an hour and a half,[20] during which Wang followed his instinct, without aiming for perfection and caring too much about the technical part; instead, he concentrated on delivering the lyrics.[8]

Composition[edit]

In the making of Magic Man, Wang was inspired, among others, by Inception and by not wanting to give a definite interpretation of art, leaving everyone the opportunity to make their own theories, and by the rawness of Prince, whose red corvette from "Little Red Corvette" appears in the lyrics of "Drive it You Like You Stole it";[8] the performances are instead inspired by modern art and contemporary dance.[21]

Magic Man explores three different people in the process of analyzing and accepting his own emotions: the first is identified by the element of fire and the color red, a symbol of temptation and madness; the second is identified by water and the blue color, and represents a world of ice in which you found calm;[22] the third and final person is identified by the color grey, and represents void, solitude and silence.[22] In an interview with Rolling Stone India, Wang compared the record to the journey that took him from almost going crazy to use that energy to become the ultimate version of himself.[1]

The first person was presented on March 31, 2022, with the release of "Blow",[22][23] the opening song of the album. The track is reminiscent of 90s rock and balances analog and digital sounds, as well as combining hard percussion sounds and distorted guitar riffs in the chorus, creating a drunken-trance-like atmosphere.[16][24] The sonic intensity is matched with a raspy-almost-gruff vocalization.[16] "Blow" speaks of a forbidden love, "fleeting-yet-heated", in which the singer is drawn in by a stranger woman's magnetism, regardless of the danger.[16] The music video, directed by Daniel Cloud Campos and released on the same day,[24] has a steampunk vibe, with corsets and puff sleeves, which was compared to Dorian Gray and Bridgerton:[16][17][22][25] Wang and a group of party-goers, passed out on the floor, inhale an unknown smoke-like substance and, when they regain consciousness, start dancing in a state of trance.[16][23]

Magic Man's second track, "Cruel", was performed for the first time at Coachella on April 16, 2022[26] and published as a single the following July 29.[12] At the press conference, Wang said that the song's grunge and the raw sound was "the perfect representation of the distorted and warped story that I am trying to unfold. It is the opus to a wild yet beautiful symphony," and stated that it had set the direction of the record in terms of narrative and sound.[12] The track is about an electrifying relationship,[27] reinforcing the addiction sung in "Blow".[28]

Moving from drums to guitar, with a jive-like pre-refrain, "Champagne Cool" talks about the reality of the entertainment world, using champagne as a metaphor for a murky reality, while "Go Ghost" tells about abandoning a toxic relationship.[29][30] In "Drive it Like You Stole it" he sings of celebrity glamor and the heady rush of stardom with smooth R&B disco beats;[29][30] "Come Alive" is a mix of jazz and rock in which Wang adores and begs for his partner.[29] "Just Like Magic" mixes rock and reggae hip hop influences;[30] it is followed by "All The Way", a call for help, and "Dopamine", which delves into the need for happiness and fulfillment.[29] The album is closed by "Blue", a song in which Wang sings of feeling confident despite the sadness, accompanied by guitar chords and the clear arrangement of the percussion.[31][32]

Promotion[edit]

On November 25, 2022, Wang kicked off the Magic Man World Tour in Bangkok, Thailand, travelling through Malaysia, Singapore, London and Paris.[33] Additional stops in North America, Mexico and South America were announced at the end of January 2023.[34][35]

Critical reception[edit]

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Clash8/10[36]
NME[30]

Jennifer Zhan of Vulture commented that the whole record was permeated with emotional turmoil and complimented Wang's experimentations with his voice, ranging from low tones to falsetto.[8] Franchesca Judine Basbas of Bandwagon described the new sound as "more grand, dramatic, and impassioned" compared to the expected loud and bold hip hop of Wang's early releases, observing that Magic Man was the pinnacle of the synthwave alt-rock style of music he had been building up since 2021 and concluding that the singer knew exactly how to use his voice.[28]

Consequence of Sound defined the record as "wonderfully dramatic and indulgent."[21] For Nandini Iyengar of Bollywood Hungama, listening to Magic Man felt like receiving a comforting hug thanks to Wang's more nuanced and mature sound after his journey of self-discovery, concluding that he managed to both showcase his talent, share an empowering message and carve himself a road for further experimenting.[29] Riddhi Chakraborty of Rolling Stone India compared Wang to a chameleon, both for the diverse sound – which reminded her of Arctic Monkeys, Arcade Fire and Queens of the Stone Age – and the vocal techniques used.[1]

For Tanu I. Raj of NME, the singer managed to showcase his growth by meshing old and new influences in his sound, stating that the best moments came when Wang combined his cool attitude with a playfulness akin to the "magic man" of the album's title. She chose "Champagne Cool" as the best song, but deemed the conclusion to be a bit weak, especially in "All The Way" and "Blue".[30]

Magic Man was featured in IZM's September 2022 Editor's Choice column, for which Son Gi-ho wrote: "The timber of a global artist blossomed amidst endless anxieties and worries," recommending "Drive it Like You Stole it", "Come Alive" and "Blue".[37]

The music video for "Blow" was included among Bandwagon's best music videos of the first half of 2022 list.[25] It was featured in Pop Crush's list of the 15 best pop albums of 2022[38] and in The Associated Press's best 10.[39] In a similar list compiled by Bandwagon it was described as "grand, dramatic and alluring."[40]

Commercial performance[edit]

Magic Man debuted at No. 15 on the Billboard 200 in the United States of America,[41] also ranking third on the Top Album Sales and on the Top Current Album Sales Charts.[42]

In South Korea, where it was released on October 6, 2022, it debuted at No. 5 on the Circle Weekly Album Chart with 62,000 copies sold.[43] By the end of the month, it sold 83,871 copies.[44] According to the Hanteo Chart, it sold 161,244 copies in South Korea in October.[45]

Track listing[edit]

Magic Man track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Blow"
  • Cambo
  • Loualldady
  • Leelee
2:43
2."Cruel"
  • C. Bartolini
  • Samson
  • Kyle A. Thornton
  • L. Bartolini
  • Roland Gajate Garcia
  • Cambo
  • Floyd Fuji
  • Loualldady
  • Garcia
3:15
3."Champagne Cool"
  • C. Bartolini
  • Samson
  • Wang
  • L. Bartolini
  • Smith
  • Cambo
  • Loualldady
2:42
4."Go Ghost"
  • Falconry
  • Loualldady
  • Powers Pleasant
2:20
5."Drive It Like You Stole It"
  • Diederik Van Elsas
  • Wang
  • Montana Wayne Best
  • Parrish Warrington
  • Rook Monroe
Trackside3:00
6."Come Alive"
  • Cambo
  • Leelee
  • Loualldady
2:52
7."Just Like Magic"
  • C. Bartolini
  • L. Bartolini
  • Molly Lewis
  • Myles Bell
  • Ryan Alexander Short
  • Cambo
  • Loualldady
2:31
8."All the Way"
  • Bellion
  • Nappi
2:05
9."Dopamine"
Cut & Dry3:11
10."Blue"
  • Benjamin Shubert
  • Chase Copley
  • Jeremy Michael Schmetterer
  • Kashif Hassan Khan
  • Steven Haddad
  • Tristan "Tito" Seccuro
  • Jeremy Schmett
  • My Boy Steve
  • Rootkit
  • Tito
2:39
Total length:27:23

Charts[edit]

Accolades[edit]

Name of the award ceremony, year presented, award category, nominee(s) of the award, and result of nomination
Award ceremony Year Category Nominee(s)/work(s) Result Ref.
American Advertising Awards 2023 Gold Winners – Best Virtual Production "Come Alive" music video Won [47]
"Cruel" music video Won
Gold Winners – Best CGI "Come Alive" music video Won
"Cruel" music video Won
Best of Winners – Best Virtual Production Won [48]
Asian Pop Music Awards 2022 Best Album of the Year (Chinese) Magic Man Nominated [49][50]
Record of the Year (Chinese) "Blow" Nominated
Best Music Video (Chinese) "Cruel" Nominated
Top 20 Best Albums of the Year (Chinese) Magic Man Won
Wave Music Awards 2023 Record of the Year "Blow" Nominated [51][52]
Best Pop Album Magic Man Won [53]
Best Album Production Nominated [51][52]
Best Song Arrangement "Blue" Nominated
Best Music Video "Blow" Nominated

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c Riddhi Chakraborty (September 14, 2022). "Jackson Wang: The Rolling Stone Interview". Rolling Stone India. Retrieved September 25, 2022.
  2. ^ Jeff Benjamin (March 20, 2020). "Jackson Wang Shares How New Single '100 Ways' Mixes Chinese & Western Culture, Progress on New Album". Billboard. Retrieved April 6, 2022.
  3. ^ Malvika Padin (April 8, 2020). "Love Overcomes Everything: Clash Meets Jackson Wang". Retrieved August 28, 2022.
  4. ^ Denni Hu (August 11, 2022). "Jackson Wang on Design, Art and China". WWD. Retrieved August 14, 2022.
  5. ^ a b c "Jackson Wang says he felt "lost" about where his music career was headed". NME. April 13, 2022. Retrieved April 17, 2022.
  6. ^ a b Shirley Ju (April 15, 2022). "Jackson Wang Talks Struggles With Mental Health, Coachella Surprise and Why K-Pop Will Last Forever". Variety. Retrieved April 22, 2022.
  7. ^ "Jackson Wang Gets Candid About His 'No Filter' Solo Album and New Single: 'I'm in My Most Raw Form'". People. Retrieved August 28, 2022.
  8. ^ a b c d Jennifer Zhan (September 9, 2022). "How Inception, Jackie Chan, and Prince Inspired Jackson Wang's MAGIC MAN". Vulture. Retrieved September 9, 2022.
  9. ^ "Jackson Wang announces new music, including collaborations and an album drop in August". February 26, 2021. Retrieved April 6, 2022.
  10. ^ "Jackson Wang Wants to 'Drive You Home'". PAPER. July 31, 2021. Retrieved April 6, 2022.
  11. ^ a b "On The Cover: Jackson Wang fronts our April 2022 issue". Men's Folio Malaysia. April 1, 2022. Retrieved April 2, 2022.
  12. ^ a b c Derrick Tan (July 29, 2022). "Jackson Wang shares fiery music video for 'Cruel', latest single from upcoming album 'Magic Man'". NME. Retrieved July 29, 2022.
  13. ^ "Jackson Wang stuns in post-apocalyptic music video for 'Cruel,' reveals 'MAGICMAN' tracklist". July 29, 2022. Archived from the original on July 29, 2022. Retrieved July 29, 2022.
  14. ^ "Jackson Wang announces new album 'MAGICMAN': "I will make all of you proud."". April 5, 2022. Retrieved April 6, 2022.
  15. ^ a b "Jackson Wang Wrestles with Grief in 'Drive You Home'". July 29, 2021. Retrieved April 6, 2022.
  16. ^ a b c d e f "Jackson Wang Returns With a Dynamic and Theatrical Music Video 'Blow'". March 31, 2022. Retrieved April 2, 2022.
  17. ^ a b "Jackson Wang serves enigmatic showmanship in theatrical music video for 'Blow' from upcoming album Magic Man". Bollywood Hungama. March 31, 2022. Retrieved April 2, 2022.
  18. ^ Jackson Wang [@JacksonWang852] (April 26, 2022). "Now. #MAGICMAN Replaced and created my last song for the album" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  19. ^ Jeon Soo-yeon. "지금, 여기, 그대로의 잭슨". The Singles (in Kanuri). Retrieved July 18, 2022.
  20. ^ Taylor Glasby (July 18, 2022). "The Real Thing: Jackson Wang Interviewed". Retrieved September 10, 2022.
  21. ^ a b Mary Siroky (September 9, 2022). "Jackson Wang Still Believes in "Magic"". Consequence. Retrieved September 10, 2022.
  22. ^ a b c d Bella Spratley (June 29, 2022). "Jackson Wang – Raw, honest and whole". metalmagazine.eu. Retrieved June 29, 2022.
  23. ^ a b "Jackson Wang drops flashy music video for new single 'Blow'". NME. March 31, 2022. Retrieved April 2, 2022.
  24. ^ a b "WATCH: Jackson Wang returns with steamy music video for 'Blow'". March 31, 2022. Retrieved April 2, 2022.
  25. ^ a b "Top Music Videos of 2022 (so far) – BTS, Red Velvet, SEVENTEEN, Jackson Wang, CHAI, NIKI, and more". June 15, 2022. Retrieved June 26, 2022.
  26. ^ "Jackson Wang makes an enthralling appearance at Coachella, debuts new song 'Cruel'". Bollywood Hungama. April 17, 2022. Retrieved April 17, 2022.
  27. ^ "Watch Jackson Wang Fight an Evil Temptress in 'Cruel'". Rolling Stone India. July 29, 2022. Retrieved July 29, 2022.
  28. ^ a b Franchesca Judine Basbas (September 9, 2022). "Jackson Wang goes on a cycle of self-discovery in 'MAGIC MAN' — album review". Retrieved September 10, 2022.
  29. ^ a b c d e Nandini Iyengar (September 10, 2022). "Jackson Wang – MAGIC MAN Review: Singer casts a spell as he is driven by love, sincerity and vulnerability in his sophomore album". Bollywood Hungama. Retrieved September 10, 2022.
  30. ^ a b c d e Tanu I. Raj (September 13, 2022). "Jackson Wang – 'Magic Man' review: a glorious manifestation of growth". NME. Retrieved September 14, 2022.
  31. ^ Divyansha Dongre (September 9, 2022). "Watch Jackson Wang aka Magic Man Explore Hopelessness in 'Blue'". Retrieved September 10, 2022.
  32. ^ Nika Roque (September 9, 2022). "Jackson Wang bares his true self in new album 'MAGICMAN,' releases trippy music video for 'Blue'". Retrieved September 10, 2022.
  33. ^ Singh, Surej (September 28, 2022). "Jackson Wang announces 'Magic Man' world tour with dates in London, Paris, Singapore and more". NME. Archived from the original on September 28, 2022. Retrieved September 28, 2022.
  34. ^ Major, Michael (January 23, 2023). "Jackson Wang Announces 'Magic Man' World Tour 2023 North American Dates". Broadway World. Retrieved January 26, 2023.
  35. ^ "Jackson Wang en Latinoamérica 2023: países y cuándo serán los conciertos del tour "Magic Man"". larepublica.pe (in Spanish). January 27, 2023. Retrieved January 28, 2023.
  36. ^ Serena Khahera (September 12, 2022). "Jackson Wang – MAGIC MAN | Reviews". Retrieved September 14, 2022.
  37. ^ "2022/09 Editor's Choice". Neo Music Communication IZM (in Korean). September 30, 2022. Retrieved October 19, 2022.
  38. ^ "These Are the 15 Best Pop Albums of 2022". PopCrush. December 7, 2022. Retrieved December 8, 2022.
  39. ^ "AP's top albums 2022: 'Renaissance,' 'Motomami,' Bad Bunny". AP NEWS. December 13, 2022. Retrieved December 14, 2022.
  40. ^ "Top Albums/EPs of 2022: Bandwagon's Picks — Epik High, Beyoncé, RM, ena mori, j-hope, DPR IAN, Utada Hikaru, and more". December 30, 2022. Retrieved January 1, 2023.
  41. ^ a b "Billboard 200: Week of September 24, 2022". Billboard. Retrieved February 9, 2023.
  42. ^ Starr Bowenbank (September 28, 2022). "Jackson Wang Plots a World Tour for 'Magic Man': 'Finally'". Billboard. Retrieved October 14, 2022.
  43. ^ a b "Circle Album Chart – 2022 Weeks 41". circlechart.kr. Retrieved October 14, 2022.
  44. ^ "Circle Album Chart – October 2022". Circle Chart (in Korean). Retrieved November 12, 2022.
  45. ^ "스트레이 키즈, 한터 10월 월간차트 휩쓸었다...'YG' 트레저·블랙핑크 상위권 (한터차트 공식)". Hanteo News (in Korean). November 1, 2022. Retrieved December 8, 2022.
  46. ^ "Circle Album Chart – October 2022". Circle Chart (in Korean). Retrieved February 9, 2023.
  47. ^ "Gold Winners Archives > adflix". adflix. Archived from the original on April 12, 2023. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
  48. ^ "Best of Winners Archives > adflix". Archived from the original on April 12, 2023. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
  49. ^ "【APMA 2022】亚洲流行音乐大奖2022年度入围名单" (in Chinese). December 14, 2022. Archived from the original on December 14, 2022. Retrieved December 14, 2022.
  50. ^ "【APMA 2022】亚洲流行音乐大奖2022年度获奖名单" [【APMA 2022】 Asian Pop Music Awards 2022 Winners List] (in Chinese). December 28, 2022. Archived from the original on December 30, 2022. Retrieved December 30, 2022.
  51. ^ a b "只为品质音乐加冕 共树艺术审美标准 第一届浪潮音乐大赏入围名单隆重揭晓" (in Chinese). April 27, 2023. Archived from the original on May 3, 2023. Retrieved May 3, 2023.
  52. ^ a b "经过超百位业界专业品审筛选，浪潮音乐大赏入围名单今日揭晓……" (in Chinese). April 26, 2023. Archived from the original on May 3, 2023. Retrieved May 3, 2023.
  53. ^ Ding, Huifeng (August 25, 2023). "首届浪潮音乐大赏落幕，最佳男歌手吴青峰压轴表演" (in Chinese). Archived from the original on August 27, 2023. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
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