Surviving the CHAOS life presents, Jean Dawson looks as if he’s seen a “GHOST*” in the aftermath of it all.
In the months following his eclectic third studio album, CHAOS NOW*, the inimitable singer-songwriter-rapper brought his beloved single “GHOST*” to all streaming platforms on Friday (Feb. 17). The track — which exclusively dropped as one of Apple Music’s “Juneteenth: Freedom Songs” in June 2021 — is said to be “just the start of much more to come” from the San Diego native this year.
“GHOST*” conjures feelings of hallowness and despair, but sees Jean belting innate truths from atop a mountain. “Wish my eyes were a little bit stronger / Live my life like I’m running from the police / Live my life like nobody,” he shouts, as his voice ebbs-and-flows from echoed solos to soft-spoken staccato flows.
There’s an earworming inflection that’s not only jarring, but intimate when he sings “I eat the whole world in one bite / I leave the cold world with one life” — connecting a “walk in a mile in their shoes” perspective from the abyss he’s singing from. Edgy acoustic guitars pair with broken, tambourine-infused production, as meditative strings and bells create a cacophony of chaos that oozes emotion at its peak. This isn’t new for Jean, though, he’s mastered the art of disruptive bliss — and “GHOST*” is as immersive as it gets.
It’s a fine line that I walk when I’m all alone
Angel on my back, hold me back, halo on my horns
Anybody there ’cause I don’t see a soul
I don’t get close, people go get ghost when you need ’em
Jean Dawson — “Ghost”
Off the back of CHAOS NOW* — which features both Isaiah Rashad and Earl Sweatshirt — Jean’s forthcoming efforts in 2023 are mirrored by the beauty of his October LP. His 2020 album, Pixel Bath, turned heads toward his knack for intrinsic self-realization and discovery, but CHAOS NOW* confirmed that Jean doesn’t constrict himself or his music to a specific genre of people. Rather, he’s unbound and emotionally unparalleled — abiding to no rules but his own.
While “GHOST*” is a catalyst for what’s to come, don’t expect Dawson to go ghost for long as he readies his next full-length record.
Check out “GHOST*” below!
