jxdn - When The Music Stops - album review

By Jessica Greenwood.

Emerging onto the TikTok scene in 2019, Tennessee resident Jaden Hossler rose to stardom in early 2020 with the release of his debut single ‘Comatose’. Gaining popularity originally on the social media platform quickly turned into a successful music career, with his first track garnering over 83 million plays to date.

The popularity of Hossler’s first single caught the attention of Blink 182’s Travis Barker, who promptly signed the artist to his record label, DTA Records in a joint deal with Elektra Records in 2020. Jxdn’s career continued to go from strength to strength signing a co-publishing agreement with Warner Chappell Music later in the year before releasing his debut album Tell Me About Tomorrow in 2021.

In the years since, Jxdn has consistently released single after single before delivering his sophomore album WHEN THE MUSIC STOPS in June of 2024, experimenting with new variants and maturing his sound.

The album opens with Lost Angel and the plucking of an acoustic guitar, immediately surprising me after sampling some of his older work. The surprise continues as the second track, Candles, comes in with a heavier sounding electric guitar and pop-punk vibes which I felt was further still from his initial work.

While I was not expecting the first few tracks and their differentiating melodies, I am struck by the lyrics, of which I am familiar with being rather heartbreaking as it’s no secret that the musician has battled with mental illness for many years, evident in his words and brave declarations in a Q&A with Forbes, (1) .

This latest record feels more hopeful than his earlier work,  not only because of the more positive sounding instrumentals but also in some of the lyrics in Sad October where he sings ‘It only gets worse before it gets better’.  

I truly enjoyed the complexity of this project and how Jxdn dipped into contrasting genres to keep the tracks new and exciting throughout listening, going from the upbeat, funky guitar riffs of What The Hell to the grungier sounds of It Must Suck To Know You and Sh!t. I found some tracks had a feel of indie bands like The Courteeners and Circa Waves, which was definitely a welcome change and showed his artistic influences.

Something I, personally, am always looking for in the music I listen to is relatability, I want to feel a connection not just to the musician but to the lyrics. I like to be able to refer back to my own situations, and I experienced that during my time with the record, in songs like Strangers when he says ‘Have you ever been so lonely you’d kill to have a friend / I always feel like a stranger.’ 

This record openly shows Jxdn’s maturity and the way he has grown into his art, using his own encounters and influences to shape his second album. It leaves me very excited for the future of this young creator, who is obviously taking his craft very seriously.