A shift has occurred in our culture, true raw talent is no longer required for fame. In the place of talent is careful branding, social media popularity, and an audience willing to at least acknowledge you. Because of this we have now have a kid named Jacob Sartorius with an EP called “Last Text”.  The 14-year-old rose to fame through Twitter and subsequently gained a following of preteen girls and the occasional grown woman. Previously he released two singles “Sweatshirt” and “Hit or Miss” but his EP dropped on Jan. 20.

After listening to this EP I can see why impressionable tweens whose musical knowledge spans Disney Channel stars and Kids Bop may like this music… but that doesn’t make it any good.  Now I am a Justin Bieber fan and I understand I may come off sounding like his haters back in 2010 when “Baby” came out, but remember he had something this kid doesn’t… true musical talent.

The first song is the title track called “Last Text,” the whole song feels already done and is ultimately forgettable. This is not helped by it’s simple, repetitive beats which is a trend throughout the EP. Next is “By Your Side” which is a step up from the previous song and does harbor an actual beat. It aligns well with the direction of today’s pop music and has a very Justin Bieber, “Let Me Love You”-esque feel. After this is “Bingo.” Oh this song, there are no words. He actually sampled the nursery rhyme Bingo, which only had the effect of making the song sound like it belongs on Nick Jr. The lyrics are awkward and the song sounds posed, the line “Ey,ey. Bro, I can’t do this. This is too lit” was literally uttered by Sartorius himself. With this track the fact of the matter is, no matter how you sing it a nursery rhyme is a nursery rhyme. “Love Me Back” has a very “Let It Go” by James Bay feel, however he lacks any range and basically sings the same pitch the entire song which is another one of his musical trends. Also the inclusion of trumpets, that made me cringe harder than the ones from when I was in beginner band, is random and disrupts the flow of the song. Just because Jason Derulo uses them in his songs doesn’t mean everyone can. But the kicker in this track is when he raps, yes raps! Let’s just say there is a reason artists use features, maybe next time he should consider having Matty B take over that part. A ray of, not light but rather potential, shines down from the song “Jordans,” it is the best song on the album. There is sort of a vibe with a decent beat, even though it still has a repetitive quality. The line “on top of the world” literally is repeated seven times in a row, in two different parts of the song. Within the song Sartorius likens loving a girl to a fresh pair of Jordans, the consistent shoe related imagery throughout the song shows some lyrical maturity, however he has the vocabulary of a typical young millennial which rarely goes beyond slang and social media references. “All My Friends” has a Chainsmokers feel, yet unlike Chainsmokers’ songs this one is boring and unimpressive. The lyrics are elementary, his voice sounds strained, and it exposes his lack of naturally musicality. Sartorius’ voice in “Hit or Miss” is so monotone, but he is saved by the decent beat of the song. His “rapping” makes an unfortunate reappearance, as if he didn’t learn from from his previous attempt, he should just leave this to the pros. The final track is an acoustic remix of his first widely known single “Sweatshirt.” This version is slower and honestly just down grades the song from the original.
Throughout the EP his awkwardness is palpable through the speakers, it is evident that Sartorius is unsure and inexperienced which makes the whole thing uncomfortable for the listener. Simply put, music just might not be the direction this young “artist” should take.