Former member of MAGCON, star of the lip-syncing app musical.ly and rising pop artist Jacob Sartorius released his first song worth listening to, “No Music,” on Sept. 15, 2017. I have not stopped thinking about it since.
Sartorius, 14, is a social media influencer turned singer who gained a large following on Instagram, Twitter, Vine and Snapchat mainly by being cute and posting massive amounts of content. For a brief time, he gained popularity as a part of the talent collective MAGCON — where superstars Shawn Mendes and Cameron Dallas got their start.
Sartorius — like most other young male celebrities girls obsess over — was subject to a lot of ridicule on social media and even had to start home school because he was a victim of bullying. The criticism only grew when he released his juvenile and wholesome first single, “Sweatshirt,” in May 2016. I suggest listening to this song before “No Music” so you’ll be more impressed.
“No Music” is by no means a quality song. It’s the sort of pop song I would like for a few weeks until the radio overplays it, leaving me bored and unimpressed with the tired, repetitive and musically simple shell of a bop. It is, however, significantly better than any of Sartorius’ previous music.
The single starts off as a piano ballad but picks up the pace and adds some electronic accents with the chorus. Sartorius’ voice has deepened, making the song sound mature, as if he may actually be old enough to have found “the one,” as the song claims.
“No Music” and recently released tracks “Skateboard” and “Hit Me Back (feat. Blackbear)” are all off of his upcoming EP Left Me Hangin’, which is set to come out Oct. 6. “No Music” is definitely the best of the EP’s released songs, but all three lead me to believe Left Me Hangin’ will be a success.
Sartorius is starting to shed his childlike image by collaborating with hip-hop artist Blackbear and releasing more teenage-sounding music. He’s definitely starting to come off as a sophomore in high school instead of a sixth grader, likely due to the fast-paced lifestyle the young star lives.
There seems to be a pattern among young male celebrities in which they spiral out of control and grow up too fast after years of being overworked and exposed to sexual attention and harsh criticism on the internet. But, unlike young megastars of the past, Sartorius’ career is centered around being accessible to fans and having a strong social media presence, not necessarily his talent. This unique base may bring about a different experience in stardom than pop culture addicts are used to watching. Maybe by the time he’s a household name, he’ll have a decent idea on how to deal with fame.
If Sartorius keeps releasing singles like “No Music,” he’s bound to gain a larger following and find himself navigating the world of his more well-known predecessors, like Justin Bieber and former members of One Direction. Although that seems unlikely, this latest song is the first sign that it could.
2.5/4 Shells.
