“Be Who You Are” (Real Magic) by Jon Batiste ft. JID, NewJeans, & Camilo, Wednesday, March 6, 2024
In 2020, amid America’s racial reckoning following the brutal murder of George Floyd, many artists of color came to prominence. Jon Batiste had been playing drums and percussion from the age of 8 and classical piano from the age of 11. Influenced by classical, jazz, R&B, and pop, Batiste released his first album, Times in New Orleans, at 17 and was accepted to study music at Juilliard. After earning his bachelor’s degree, Baptiste went on to earn a master’s degree also from Julliard. In 2004, while studying at Julliard, Batiste formed the jazz band Stay Human. In 2015, Steven Colbert hired Batiste and Stay Human as his house band for The Late Show with Colbert. Batiste’s career has been characterized with prestige, collaboration, activism, and gradual name recognition.
THAT’S JUST WHO I AM, THAT’S JUST MY RADIO. I first heard of Jon Batiste from his contribution to the Soul original soundtrack. Batiste composed original jazz pieces for the 2020 Pixar film. Along with co-composers Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, who created the otherworldly synthesizer pieces in the score, Batiste received many awards and nominations, including wins for Best Original Score at The Golden Globes, The British Film Awards, The Academy Awards, and Best Score for Visual Media at the Grammys. In addition to Batiste’s nominations for his work on Soul, Batiste’s fifth album WE ARE won Album of the Year at the 2022 Grammy Awards. Batiste’s win was controversial as none of the singles from the album were hits and the record had left the Billboard 200 albums chart before the Grammys and only returned after the ceremony. Batiste’s 2023 album, World Music Radio, was also nominated for a 2024 Album of the year, but lost to Taylor Swift’s Midnights. Batiste’s 2023 album is a largely collaborative concept album. The album follows a being from another planet who observes the music of earth and ultimately uses Earth’s music to create a “potpourri of the far-flung musical languages of Earth.”
DON’T WANT TO SHARE A MUMBLING WORD. Jon Batiste’s music inspired many in 2020, giving a performance with Matt Whitaker on the steps of the Brooklyn Public Library on Juneteenth. Batiste grew up in a family that had been active in the fight for civil rights, and the accomplished musician has donated proceeds from singles and projects to charities that support human rights. Batiste’s latest album World Music Radio aims to give the listener a global perspective. Featuring artists like Lil’ Wayne, Lana Del Rey, Jon Bellion, and Kenny G, Batiste shows that he’s a musician’s musician. Today’s track, “Be Who You Are,” features American rapper JID, Korean girl group NewJeans, and Colombian singer Camilo. The lyrics of the song encourage listeners to embrace their uniqueness. The collaboration between the artists from three continents—North and South America and Asia—suggests a global perspective in pop music. Bringing together the sounds of pop, R&B, K-pop, and Latin pop, “Be Who You Are” both reminds listeners that music is global and suggests that perhaps the future of pop music may not be in English. It might just be time to join Duolingo if you want to enjoy pop music in the future!
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