Chords and melodies are great, but where music truly thrives is when it transcends any sound. As part of Apple Music’s Juneteenth Celebration in 2022, Jean Dawson contributed “GHOST*,” a controlled-chaos recording that Dawson dedicated to “the people who’ve felt unseen and unheard.” The track served as part of the platform’s “Freedom Songs” project that also included 6lack, Denzel Curry, Bun B, Lupe Fiasco, and a host of others. Even when he is surrounded by reputable names as mentioned, Dawson seems comfortable, deserving of the moment. His music is intentional yet spontaneous in form, calamity possible and increasingly likely with each passing second. Dawson’s voice is both literally and figuratively unique, a distinct passion in his expression of the emotionally wrought lyrics that escape him. “I wish all my days were a little bit longer,” the song opens, his sentiments growing more intense as he repeats them in the chorus: “Wish my eyes were a little bit stronger / Live my life like I’m running from the police.” In a press release, Dawson had one thing to say in reference to the song: “The old me must die.”

With the anthem debuting on all streaming platforms today, Dawson’s words mean even more as we’ve become even more familiar with him through new releases. In October 2022, the California-born transcendent shared his invigoratingly diverse project CHAOS NOW*, strengthening his discography with another eclectic body of work. As he continues to display his versatility, Dawson’s star only brightens. As a sort of leader-of-the-new-school, he runs alongside and inspires a generation of artists ill-equipped to fit into genre norms and classifications. Having been a fan-favorite for years, “GHOST*” is another step-into-my-world jam from Dawson that is expected from an artist soundtracking everyday chaos.

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