Jon Bellion makes solo debut with album “The Human Condition”

Long Island native Jon Bellion released his debut album The Human Condition on Friday, a pop album featuring 14 songs that tell stories of life, love and everything in between. He is best known for writing the song “The Monster,” which was featured on Eminem’s Marshall Mathers LP 2 in 2013 and won a Grammy for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration in 2015. His career quickly launched from there, co-writing the hit song “Trumpets” with Jason Derulo, collaborating with Zedd and starting his solo career with The Human Condition.

The album is a compilation of tracks that comment on the modern human story, ranging from adolescent romance to newfound fame. Love songs like “Overwhelming” and “Guillotine” feature memorable choruses that listeners will be able to sing along to. Bellion presents deeper messages in tracks such as “Weight of the World” and “New York Soul Pt ii.” Both contain powerful and thought-provoking lyrics that address personal issues from family struggle to career aspirations.

Although Bellion produces multiple hits with interesting narratives like “80’s Films,” The Human Condition struggles with the problem of over-production. Many tracks were edited with vocal compression and Auto-Tune.

Throughout the album, Bellion’s voice is overwhelmed by a plethora of sounds and beats that attempt to replicate sonic elements in current pop music. The album is anything but sincere, instead relying heavily on digital elements when it shouldn’t, as Bellion already has a good voice. The Human Condition is riddled with Auto-Tune and doesn’t allow Bellion’s artistic talent to properly shine.

Yet while the production may be over the top, tracks like “New York Soul Pt ii,” and “Maybe IDK,” redeem the album. “New York Soul” features raw verses of Bellion rapping and about on living life in the Big Apple. When the chorus comes back in after the rap verses, it’s a soft contrasting melody that creates a somber, pensive tone. The track is one of the best on the album, revealing Bellion’s vulnerability and allowing listeners to create a connection with the artist.

Bellion reaches out to listeners in his modern anthem and fourth single “Maybe IDK.” While the title of the song feels slightly immature, the song quickly redeems itself and is a standout on the album. The track features acoustic guitar and vocals, and doesn’t feel as overproduced as many of the others, but instead feels honest and anthemic. The lyrics, “Maybe I don’t know, but maybe that’s okay,” resonate deeply and the melody underneath them make this song soar as everyone lives in a world filled with questions and the unknown.

Overall, the album features many well-composed songs masked behind heavy electronic production, which is a shame because Bellion has a remarkable voice. Bellion is currently on a national tour and will be playing a sold-out show at L.A.’s Fonda Theater in July.