Rising artist Jon Bellion will be performing at San Diego State’s very own Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre on July 10 at 7 p.m. Who is Jon Bellion, you ask? Jon Bellion is a rapper, producer and Grammy award-winning songwriter. Although his music is not yet as widely known, his steadily growing national and international fanbase suggest a bright future ahead in terms of his career.
Jon’s music is categorized as rap but there are remnants of hip/hop and pop alongside implementations of a beatpad, synthesizer and a variety of vocal arrangements that simply cannot be placed into one box. Known for his individuality, Jon did not officially start releasing music through a record label until after the release of various free mixtapes and albums in an attempt to build his fanbase first. His first studio album, “The Human Condition”, was certified gold in late 2017.
Photo By Jessica Ramirez
Bellion is recognized for constantly encouraging artists to maintain their originality and talks about the the importance of fostering self-growth. In doing so, he continues to put out music that is each different from the next, surprising both critics and his fans. His latest album, “Glory Sound Prep”, was released in November 2018. His single “Stupid Deep” now has more than 22 million streams on Spotify and over 1.6 million views on Youtube.
Some of Jon’s other notable pieces of work are “Trumpets” by Jason Derulo, “Fall in Line” by Christina Aguilera ft. Demi Lovato and “Monster” by Eminem ft. Rihanna which went on to win a Grammy in 2014. This year, Jon has recently partnered with Quinn XCII on the record “Life Must Go On”. Fans are also anticipating a collaboration with Jon and Illenium hinted to be released in the very near future.
Photo courtesy of Jon Bellion via Twitter
Over the course of his career, Bellion has expressed deep admiration for Disney Pixar films. Both his “Glory Sound Prep” and “The Human Condition” albums reflect artwork and imagery rooted in Pixar-related influences. In an interview from 2016 with Forbes, Jon describes why Pixar remains a large influence on his music. When asked what about Pixar movies entices him, he responds, “I’m fascinated by the level of product meeting art. The way they do it, it’s this seamless, beautiful thing that’s detailed and vivid, so simple to grasp that even a kid can love it, but also an adult can grasp the major themes going on. That’s what I’m trying to do with my music. I want from people from 4 to 400 to be able to relate and understand what’s happening, but I also want musicians to be able to look at the artistry and the beautiful colors in the music.”
Jon Bellion is a one of kind artist that is making strides in the music industry and is hopefully now on your radar. His music is unique, full of variety and there is truly something for everyone. He is about to kick off his Glory Sound Prep Tour on June 12 in Philadelphia, PA. Tickets for the tour are available now and starting as low as $20 this week. If you are going to be around State this summer and are interested in discovering new music, be sure to check Jon Bellion out.