Jaden Smith Delivers an Introspective Debut
Jaden Christopher “Syre” Smith, -hence the name of the album- finally dropped his debut album SYRE. Jaden’s fanbase, which rose after the release of The Cool Cafe mixtape, finally got what they’ve been waiting for as Jaden Smith returns with a new and improved sound. This album is incredibly unique, as he‘s trying to create his own sound. The same way you hear a Kanye song and instantly know it’s a ‘Ye song. Jaden put together a tight-knit group of artists as most of the people featured on the album are part of his immediate friends and family, including his sister Willow and part of MSFTS. Jaden’s overall goal in this album is to spread positivity and creativity through his music, setting himself apart from the pack with his art. Jaden Smith is only looking to keep helping people through his art.
BLUE
“BLUE” is a four track sequence that could have worked as a single track or even as it’s own project. “BLUE” serves as an example of the thought that went in to the project over the three years Jaden worked on it, proving it was well worth the wait. “Blue” uses elements from theatre as Jaden Smith wrote the song using Shakespeare’s famous “iambic pentameter”, which is a beat consisting of an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable, or a short syllable followed by a long syllable. This track overall has a “BLUE” vibe to it, to which Jaden and Willow do a great job of adding to the despondent theme. These tracks do a great job of carrying through your senses as in “L” Jaden wants you to see the world through his perspective, showing how rough it can be. Then in “U” Jaden makes you feel his pain after falling in love with a girl and not knowing to what extent he would go for her. Lastly in “E” Jaden walks you through his world of “BLUE”, tying together all four tracks into one.
Breakfast
“Breaking news there is a band of renegades Teenagers in North Los Angeles, Calabasas area”
“Yeah, hah, whole squad blowin’ up, yeah
on a highway ’Cause you know, I’m bout to do it my way… Jay driving it the wrong way I so not see what you’re seeing”
On this track Jaden emphasizes the difference between his crew and the rest of the game, especially the way he operates as an individual without caring about any outside opinion of him. He uses the highway line as a metaphor to point out that he’s going to take his own creative direction, regardless of what anyone else is doing.
Hope
“Building seven wasn’t hit and there’s more shit to come The pentagon is on a run”
“I need a therapist look, Fahrenheit 451"
This track is all about Jaden’s “Hope” for the betterment of the world. Jaden mentions the pentagon and the infamous building seven to point out how corrupt the world we live in is, alluding to something being hidden. Then he references to “Fahrenheit 451” a book about a society with many flaws, which Jaden feels is a reflection of the society in which we live in and which he would want to ultimately change.
Falcon
Falcon which (named after the Teslas’ “Falcon Wing” doors, Smith’s vehicle of choice) was the fourth official single released leading up to the album and has a feature from Atlanta rapper Raury who is close friends with Jaden, again showing how this is a personal album for Jaden. Both Jaden and Raury have had trouble holding themselves to a specific creative style. Which in a way perfectly describes this song as it is part electronic and part acoustic, as the beat shifts constantly, from skittish to more expansive, while throughout the track both Raury and Jaden are giving their blurred views on the world.
Ninety
“She said “Jaden, you are my soulmate” You only say that when you’re lonely Girl, I’m suprised you even know me, ay I’m not gon’ fuck, but we can kick it like we homies, ay ‘Cause we just homies, baby”
“Put me in a trance, you never wanna hold hands But I guess I just missed the chance”
“Get you without any clothes, I’m focused Our love is drowning in the ocean, hopeless”
This track can be considered the love song on the album, broken up into two parts with both a sad and an ideal half. The sad half to this track is at the beginning. Where Jaden is is expressing how would like to keep a relationship going without having any sexual and superficial pleasures. Saying he rather keep a long perfect relationship without rushing anything. Hence his line on this track where he says “but we can kick it like we homies”, which he later says in an interview refers to his ex, Sarah Snyder, who was moving too quickly and wanted to get engaged and he would rather them stay friends. In the second half this song does a complete 360 as a climatic guitar riff starts playing and Jaden starts to express himself completely opposite to what he had just said. What Jaden means by their love drowning in the ocean and being focused on getting her clothes off, is that their relationship is being sunk by their lack of communication and actual love and that it’s ironically being held by their superficial and sexual pleasures. To me the Outro to this track is very meaningful, as he is talking about himself by continually mentioning Syre. Jaden is saying how he’s still the same person although he’s showing people a new side of him. Later he says how people see him as “Godlike” because he himself believes he will be able to make an impact in this world, then tackles his skeptics as he says, that think he just has a mask over him and he isn’t being true to himself.
Lost Boy
“I was a lost boy, I was a lost boy in my room Out in the shadows, out in the shadows in my room”
“Check it out, this the bonus track, this the bonus My favorite albums used to have the bonus track, you know what I’m saying?”
If you thought “Ninety” was a long track think again, because Jaden hits again with “Lost Boy”, coming in at over nine minutes. Although the length may be a turn-off, the song flows perfectly together and he allows for it to fully form; making the most of every second, and keeping it from being a drag. Jaden’s intentions for this song and it’s emotional vibe, is to get across to the listener how not everybody in Hollywood is happy 24/7, just because they seemingly have it “all”. Smith includes his list of shoutouts like many other artist do at the end of their albums, inciting a sense of confusion as to the reason for him to put the shoutouts in the middle of the album. Some rumors are that just like Kanye did on TLOP, Jaden made it for this to be the end of the album and the remaining tracks are bonus tracks.
Batman
“Batman, Batman, Batman, Joker just put me on acid”
This song was the second single released off SYRE, and one of the only three songs to initially have a music video alongside “Fallen” and “Watch me”. This song represents Jaden’s admiration for Batman, that everyone saw on display at Kanye and Kim Kardashian’s wedding where he showed up in a white Batman Costume and again after sharing his condolences after Adam West passed away. This song shares a similar flow to “Jumpman” by Drake and Future and “Facts” by Kanye, shown in the lines where he repeats “Batman” three times.
Icon
“What you call an icon livin’?”
“I need you to listen to the vision”
“Look, we don’t know no one like you (huh?) Gold grills and you dance like Michael (what?)”
This song is the good in the evil to this album. Jaden didn’t only want this album to be all about his weaknesses like the songs “Lost Boy” and “Syre”. He wanted it to be balanced, and that’s exactly what “Icon” does, because it’s such an empowering song. As it is centered around Jaden mentioning all of his accomplishments, and how he sees himself as an icon because he is trying to make an impact in our world and and no one is unique like him.
Watch Me
Right off the bat with the Black Skinhead sample being used, this song has a Yeezus vibe to it. Which shows how Kanye, a close friend to Jaden, is a great influencer to his music. Not only has Kanye influenced him in this song as it is very similar to “Surfin” by Kid Cudi. This song sounds like a mash up between “Surfin” and “Black Skinhead”, “Watch Me” seems to be the result of a heavy influence from both tracks. This again comes to show how personal this album really is for Jaden, where he’s been able to also show his influences outside of hip hop itself.
Fallen
“Hide me from the blue”
“We should build a city overseas, this country kinda cold”
Jaden’s number one weakness, love, is back again. No matter what Jaden seems to comeback to talking about love. Fallen was the debut single from SYRE, the track is all about the love for his girl and their perspective on life. Smith is seeking shelter from the loneliness and depression he’s had through the rest of the album. Which can also be a callback to the four consecutive song intro where its all about him wanting to escape from his misery. He then mentions building a city overseas due to his feeling that this country is cold.
The Passion
Jaden just completely owns the track with his energy and charisma . Throughout the entire track all the way to the end their is a constant fight between the depression and the vibrant lost boy. Smith explodes, sprinkling ad-libs throughout and killing it lyrically in what may be one of his most lyrical songs on the album. “The Passion” is truly rock solid.
George Jeff
“Kick it with Rich The Kid”
Smith pops off the track rapping as George Jefferson, going into his sense that he doesn’t belong while still being a regular kid. Jaden mentions how he chills with Rich the Kid to show even though he’s a unique character he can still get down like any rapper. The music video to this track was recently released and it seems to be a second part to “Icon” since he is in the same location and wearing the same clothes. Which is Jaden again brining up the Yin and Yang-balance- as in “Icon”he is showing how he is unique and an Icon, but now here is showing how he is a normal teen at the end of the day.
Rapper
On “Rapper” Smith pokes fun at many of the things going on in Hip-Hop today by taking on a cadence similar to many popular trap songs, as well as alluding to rappers with stupid tattoos. Still inserting his own personality into the music by reffering to his love of Tesla’s, and dislike for misogyny. The whole track serves as a parody for all of the things Smith feels are negative in Hip-Hop, while stll showing appreciation for the music.
SYRE
“Never quite sure about his placement
Or where he’s been in this pink world
Or why nothing ever made sense”“(A beautiful confusion, I’m Syre)”
The title track “SYRE” is a masterpiece, where Smith wraps up the album’s narrative. Jaden reflects on his purpose in the world through the perspective of a lost boy, “a beautiful confusion” where a boy stumbles along the path to enlightenment.
At the end of the day this is a great debut for Jaden; showing off his great versatility while slipping in and out of flows, pockets, and even genres. The cherry on top comes from the incredible production and storytelling serving as a setting for the story of Syre, tying all of the project’s themes together. All and all, Syre is an album where patience is key. Without a thorough listen and attention to detail, the album isn’t an easy listen. A solid project, with clean production and a strong creative direction.
