Jackson Wang paints a ravishing catastrophe on ‘MAGIC MAN’

Often known as the face of Okay-pop group Got7, Jackson Wang is not any stranger to success. His sophomore album, MAGIC MAN, follows an alt-rock pumping lifeline that reverberates all through. The theme of every observe is about letting go and giving into seduction. Exploring one other aspect of his inventive prowess, Wang exhibits that he can stand alone as a solo artist—leaving the shiny sheen of Okay-pop behind.

“Blow” begins the album off with an remoted guitar and punk-like drumming. Wang’s raspy, whisper-like vocals breathe new life into this post-punk-influenced music. His refined but sensual lyrics evoke emotions of a rising habit to one thing dangerous for you, but intriguing.

“You style like cigarettes/ I’ve obtained an issue/ I feel I’m into it,” Wang croons.

The sultry and horny bass of “Champagne Cool” drives the carefree confidence displayed in its lyrics. The lyrics bounce to the playful rhythm, which maintains a fab tempo.

The vaporwave-like, neo-R&B-influenced introduction to “Go Ghost” permits the 28-year-old to indicate one other shade of his artistry. Wang delivers with ethereal rapped lyrics. “Drive Like You Stole It” follows an analogous creed of synthwave pop influences and maintains the head-bobbing, upbeat feeling.

“Merciless” begins with the pitchy echo of distorted guitar screeches. The desperation of Wang’s raspy vocals intensifies the rawness of the grungy, bluesy beat. The music sounds a bit just like the Black Keys, with the guitar taking part in and drumming (reside, not digital) up entrance. These two parts are usually buried—if in any respect current—in Okay-pop. Wang’s Got7 bandmate, BamBam, has additionally gone solo, however the latter has up to now stayed true to his Okay-pop roots. Wang’s album is usually a polar reverse.

“All The Manner” opens with a wobbly distortion of fingerpicked guitar however instantly takes a pointy dive into a powerful heavy riff with a new-age pop twist. “Come Alive” emphasizes the excessive factors of Wang’s poignant falsettos. Wang maintains the alt-rock tone of the album; nonetheless, there’s some repetition of earlier types and missed alternatives to experiment additional. It’s a profitable however secure method.

The ethereal reverb of the layered vocals on “Simply Like Magic” offers an otherworldly vibe to the mid-tempo pop music. With three distinctive beats, the observe is strung collectively to make a cohesive piece however misses the mark lyrically as Jackson Wang struggles to color a transparent story of a former flame.

“Dopamine” trades the alt-rock undertones for an uplifting R&B circulation harking back to Wang’s work on mixtape Misplaced & Discovered, which he launched final March. With “Blue,” a recent ballad, Wang’s mushy but tough vocals float, slowly lulling MAGIC MAN to an finish.

Jackson Wang exhibits a slice of his ever-evolving inventive thoughts as a soloist. MAGIC MAN begins off with a heavy concentrate on expressing the rawness of grungy and blues-rock-inspired sounds, however struggles so as to add to the style. Followers of Got7, known as Ahgases, will nonetheless see that Wang’s departure from his acquainted sound paints an image of progress for the Chinese language artist.

Comply with photographer Onome Uyovbievbo at Twitter.com/byonome and Instagram.com/by.onome.