Jean Dawson dabbles in a little bit of everything. With three albums under his belt, the Mexican-American artist is a musical chameleon who uses hip-hop to cross over into other genres he grew up listening to as a kid. Dawson’s recently released three-song collection, “DESTRUCTION FOR DUMMIES,” is no different, marking the second installment of a trilogy that began back in May and coming out in between his show at Lollapalooza and a fall arena tour supporting Trippie Redd.
Those familiar with his previous work shouldn’t be surprised to hear his newest material is nothing like what he’s done before, revealing a more vulnerable side of himself through engrossing electronic soundscapes while playing off new styles.
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On “X-RAY,” Dawson experiments and seamlessly combines different instruments without any sound clash. Opening to a skeletal-sounding guitar, to which he plays as well as the piano, the slightly brighter atmosphere compliments the bouncy lo-fi drum beat while carrying over the heavy layer of reverb from “NO SCOPE.” His squeaky vocals are similarly digitized, at times disappearing and reappearing from the wall of electronic synths in a way only he could pull off.
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Taking an already experimental direction to new heights, “VEXED” is the song that shines the most out of the three, showing Dawson’s strengths as a tastemaker and songwriter. With gospel-inspired backing vocals adding to the space in the instrumental, Dawson rides over a fast-paced breakbeat, driving the energy forward before repeatedly diving into an angelic breakdown. It comes close to sounding like a mess, yet it never does and instead comes off as intricately made for a song that does so much in so little time.
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Having been born in 1995, the 26-year-old musician fully embodies everything that makes up the Internet generation of musicians, including a diverse range of genres serving as inspiration. Coming from a half-Black, half-Mexican background, he would split his time between San Diego and Tijuana, time spent listening to various genres of music that would influence him later on. That level of originality always ensures he stands out against a wave of other artists taking on a similar approach. And at the end of the day, no one is keeping up with him in consistency or creativity.
Words: David Sosa
“DESTRUCTION FOR DUMMIES”, PT. 2 JEAN DAWSON AS “NIGHTMARE” by Jean Dawson is out on all streaming services. For more on new music and live shows, including an LA date at The Kia Forum on Oct. 4, follow him on Instagram and his website.
2023 TOUR DATES:
Aug. 31 — Somerset, WI @ Somerset Amphitheater
Sept. 2 — Cleveland, OH @ Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse
Sept. 4 — St. Louis, MO @ Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre STL
Sept. 5 — Tinley Park, IL @ Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre
Sept. 7 — Clarkston, MI @ Pine Knob Music Theatre
Sept. 8 — Toronto, ON @ Budweiser Stage
Sept. 9 — Hartford, CT @ The XFINITY Theatre
Sept. 10 — Mansfield, MA @ Xfinity Center
Sept. 12 — Brooklyn, NY @ Barclays Center
Sept. 13 — Camden, NJ @ Freedom Mortgage Pavilion
Sept. 14 — Bristow, VA @ Jiffy Lube Live
Sept. 16 — Virginia Beach, VA @ Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater at Virginia Beach
Sept. 17 — Charlotte, NC @ PNC Music Pavilion
Sept. 18 — Raleigh, NC @ Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek
Sept. 21 — West Palm Beach, FL @ iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre
Sept. 22 — Tampa, FL @ MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre
Sept. 23 — Atlanta, GA @ Lakewood Amphitheatre
Sept. 28 — Sugar Land, TX @ Smart Financial Centre at Sugar Land
Oct. 1 — Phoenix, AZ @ Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre
Oct. 4 — Los Angeles, CA @ The Kia Forum
Oct. 6 — Mountain View, CA @ Shoreline Amphitheatre
