Making the Kids Happy: Jaden Smith’s Cool Tape Vol. 3 Review
Jaden Smith has finally graced us with the third installment of his Cool Tape series, nearly 6 years after Cool Tape Vol. 2 dropped.
After my first listen through the album, all I wanted to do was put on my most flowy skirt and dance around my room, while simultaneously feeling the need to lay in bed for hours blasting the album through my headphones.
This album is a prequel to Jaden’s 2017 album, Syre, and all 17 tracks feature a unique story from Jaden’s transitional years of life. Now at 22 years old, he is able to dive into pivotal lessons and growth he experienced as a 15, 16 and 17-year-old.
He pulled inspiration from legendary musicians like David Bowie and The Beatles, despite the modern and colorful aesthetic of the album.
Jaden, who has previously opened up about his mental health and anxiety disorder, finds comfort in the music he shares. Through soothing vocals and dope beats, Jaden presents Cool Tape Vol. 3 to “make the kids happy”, which he explains to Zane Lowe in an interview from early August.
The first track, Circa 2015, sets the tone of the whole project with an apologetic manner, addressing the confusion and the puppy love that he felt when he was younger.
Ex-girlfriend and actress Odessa played a central role in the workings of this album. Their prior relationship had obvious emotional impacts on Jaden’s life, reflected in some tracks such as “Young In Love” and “Falling For You with Justin Bieber”.
Although they are not hopelessly in love anymore, Odessa also was the driving force behind Jaden learning to play guitar and shifting his musical vibe a bit.
Another one of my favorites is “LUCY!”, a devotion track to The Beatles’ “Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds”. Although John Lennon denied the controversial metaphors to his grave, the song makes references to LSD and experimentation with drugs.
Lucy is a female figure in both “LUCY!” and “Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds”, but through Jaden’s commentary on the use of hallucinogenic drugs, he hints that Lucy may not be a person. Instead, Lucy could be a euphoric feeling that can come from an intoxicating relationship.
“Boys and Girls” is by far my favorite track on the album. I was instantly gravitated to the upbeat rhythm and even more intrigued by the wholesome, yet empowering, lyrics. Jaden is speaking out to young people to change the world in the name of love.
Love is a powerful tool when it comes to making this world a better place.Jaden, while not making a direct reference to the Black Lives Matter movement, is still able to share this message:
“We just want justice, are we really asking too much? We just want change the world and spread our love”.
Jaden has always been consistent with his edgy persona, but this album was a beautiful mix between his earlier tracks and a new, unique outlook on his life that embraces a more colorful and alternative feel.
He took a bold step in his musical career by creating this new vibe for himself. Its working for him and it's working for us.
Enjoy the weekend with this new set of bops.
Rating: 8.5/10
Written by Stevie Kane, Edited by Emma Barsky
