Jaden Smith’s Surreal Summer Sound

After an extreme summer of riots and the COVID-19 pandemic, pop star Jaden Smith—who goes by his first name—breaks some of the stress with his current album “CTV3: Cool Tape Vol. 3.” This album is a prequel to his first studio album, “SYRE,” where he presents his lead character, Syre, who shares his middle name.

In CTV3, Jaden recounts Syre’s late teenage years and his first romantic encounters. The album matches perfectly with Jaden’s discography, as it continues to demonstrate his artistic evolution.
Via the record’s songs, Jaden explains the perfect way for Syre to find love and expands on the universe he created in “SYRE.” The minimalist background instruments of the album construct a serene paradise. Jaden’s quiet, somewhat muffled voice serves as a reference to his love-filled life.

Jaden sets the tone for the track “Circa 2015,” where he invites 17-year-old Syre to discover his first love. Jaden starts to show off his creative chops by beginning his pop-rap album with a harp. With the harp, Jaden is trying to bring home that his imaginary universe is a sacred place, but terrible accidents will always happen, no matter what. His voice and the trumpets that surround him serve as a nuisance in this picturesque atmosphere.

luxurious lifestyle and finding true love

What makes the viewer engaged in Jaden’s tale is the artist’s willingness to combine experimental forms so well. He will go from speaking over a minimal piano chord to raping and singing over a complicated range of instruments. His accompaniment arrangement is also strengthened because Jaden knows how to compose complex music, not only with harmony but lyrically. These talents come together on his track “Rainbow Bop,”.

What sets this album ahead of the other pop albums is how each track focuses on the others. The stories that each way tells help to create an album when Jaden was forming his ideas about love. “In the Hills,” for example, helps the listener slow down from recent bubblegum pop tracks and be guided into the plot. Jaden recounts something of hallucination when every line angelically blends in and out. The slow-down tempo makes it sound like he’s lost after the thrill of a new relationship. Now, he’s searching for the right way to go on with the partnership.