Jean Dawson Drops "BRUISE BOY," a Single For All the Kids Like Him

From his radical style of experimental pop to his blue hair, Jean Dawson has become an unparalleled character in the up-and-coming space. Dawson continues to amass a cult following thanks to his unique combination of experimental production, jarring visuals, and classic hip-hop beats. His latest release "BRUISE BOY" is no exception. Accompanied by a music video punctuated with negative color schemes and dreamlike trips through a desert landscape, it is a trip worth losing yourself in.

Growing up straddling the San Diego and Tijuana border, Dawson's musical journey reflects his multicultural upbringing and the blend of Latin and rap music he heard throughout his youth. According to Dawson's manager, his art is meant to speak to kids growing up the way he did, caught between cultures, feeling like they don't fit the mold.

This song is "for the kids like me," Dawson affirms. The song features heavy repetition of the phrase "You saw my dreams and / And you saw your face." It seems he is speaking to all the kids who want to deviate from the path laid out before them and pursue their creative passions, all of the kids saying "Hey look, he did something different. I can too."

Dawson is fresh off the heels of releasing his debut album, Bad Sports, which definitely deserves a listen if you are feeling "BRUISE BOY." The lyrical content of the album touches on themes of femininity, intimacy, and mental health, meant to push back against the cultural pressure he felt in his adolescence to conform to masculine norms. It is safe to say we are ecstatic to watch Dawson continue on his visionary quest to break out of every box he is put in.

Listen to "BRUISE BOY" below: