REVIEW: Yung Lean - Jonatan

Jonatan is an ode to the last decade of Yung Lean, defining a new era and paying homage to everything that came before.

Credit: Alasdair Mclellan

Yung Lean is a generational artist, pioneering a genre, creating a legacy and making space in the industry for a sound we’d never really heard before. From the days of ‘Unknown Death 2002’ in 2013, he’s an artist we've grown up with and I see Jonatan not only as a testament to his artistic growth but also a work I think we can all take solace in. 

A forever evolving artist, his sound has somewhat changed but been mostly consistent through the years, Jonatan however takes Lean to a new place and leaves us questioning: is this the end of an era and the start of a new one? Since 2016’s ‘Psychopath Ballads’ Yung Lean has also been making music under the jonatan leandoer96 pseudonym and those influences are evident in Jonatan. It’s almost a blend of both projects. After the Avicii Arena show, hints of this being the last album under Yung Lean were present. I was nervous to listen to this album for that reason, now I have, I feel it might be. 

Reflective, confessional, poetic. This album evokes a range of emotions from nostalgia to contentment, from sadness to acceptance. It takes you on a journey through the last 10 years of Lean but also has us reflecting on the things we’ve all experienced in that time. Priding himself on his authenticity, Lean has never shied away from being completely human and open in his work, Jonatan is an album that does this to the highest degree. 

Coming together over multiple years in multiple locations from the dark Swedish woods to the Californian desert and New York City. This is the first album we’ve had from Yung Lean since 2020’s ‘Starz’ and last year's collaborative album ‘Psykos’ with his right hand man, Bladee. In contrast, this album has no features and is an entirely solo work, the kind of album you want to set some time aside to really listen to. Though quite a different sound to what we know as Yung Lean, he still hasn't missed, but I wouldn't say no skips and I do have favourites.

At the very top, for me, is ‘Swan Song’ less for its production value, which is magical, but more for Lean’s touching lyricism. A close second in my rankings, ‘Might Not B’ honours fellow Swedish legends, ABBA with lyrics from ‘Lay All Your Love On Me’ and also features an adaptation of lyrics used in his 2022 feature on Palmistry’s ‘Brexia’.  ‘Babyface Maniacs’, which was released as a single in the lead up to this release, takes the third spot in my books. The production, lyrics and music video released alongside it all tie together to make this a timeless work of art. 

‘Forever Yung’ was the first single to be released from Jonatan and the shift in production style was evident from there on. Produced by Grammy award winning Rami Dawod, the lo-fi aesthetic still stands. It’s the minimalist, ambient instrumentation which leaves room for Lean to reflect without distraction, and the jonatan leandoer96 style neo folk and indie rock influences that mark a clear departure from what we’ve come to expect from Yung Lean. Merging his past and present identities, Jonatan is an exemplification of growth both personally and musically. An intentional act of self expression.  

In an old Good Call interview, he refers to Yung Lean as a character, saying he thinks “Jonatan and Yung Lean have never met”, this album feels like they’ve finally come together. In a recent interview with SubwayTakes he states “the party is officially over” as he talks on being sober, making the goal of settling down with a family cool again and romanticising good things. The transition Jonatan symbolises has been present in the way Lean has been expressing himself as of late, it's a refreshing new outlook and this album perfectly aids that. It’s always a risk when an artist changes their style, in this case it’s divine timing. 

Yung Lean is a timeless legacy, inspiring a generation. After a decade of pushing creative boundaries and being an artist beyond the music, Jonatan is an ode to this incredible, unique journey. There never has been and never will be another Yung Lean.