An established star who’s name has never lost its shine, Jean Dawson remains one of the most in-demand voices in music because of his dynamism. Pressing play on a new project from the enigmatic artist is an inherent risk because of the stakes involved – Dawson will almost certainly be in a different form than you last heard him, but this mystery only bolsters his intrigue. His new EP, Boohoo, exposes us to more of Dawson than we’ve ever seen before, namely through the lens of “Divino Desmadre.” The track is the first of its kind for Dawson in which he performs fully in Spanish, the first language Dawson learned growing up in Tijuana and San Diego. While the language may be foreign to some listeners, his approach is in line with past releases: he abandons structure and bends the borders of the track to his liking. Never has Dawson embraced his Mexican roots to this extent; never has he sounded more like himself.

Rounding out Boohoo, “New Age Crisis” and “Tastes Like Metal” use grand instrumentation to capture the themes ever-common in his music. “New Age Crisis” begins with anxious keys, subtly different from the suspenseful piano that introduces “Tastes Like Metal.” They both pick up steam when Dawson’s voice enters the frame. In the past, Dawson’s music could at times be described as beautifully chaotic. On Boohoo, Dawson tames his theatrics for stark beauty, crafting cohesive and coherent tracks meant to foreshadow his upcoming album later this year. 

‍Boohoo is the embodiment of the philosophy to strike while the iron is hot. The EP is Dawson’s first release since his defining collaboration with SZA on his recent single “NO SZNS,” and he’s gone on to further announce that he’ll be performing with Lil Yachty on the European Leg of Boat’s Field Trip Tour later this spring. It is also timely that with the release of his first Spanish-language song, Dawson will be making his debut performance in Mexico at the Ceremonia Music Festival in Mexico City on March 23rd. If the timing seems just right, it's because Dawson is doing things on his own schedule, and fans should be ever grateful to be living in his moment.

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