Flush It Friday: The Ballad(s) of Jonatan

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Using FiF as an excuse to blab about this record, baybeeeeeee.

Swedish cloud rapper Yung Lean‘s trajectory as an artist and person has been interesting to observe from the proverbial sidelines. Existing on the periphery of mainstream hip-hop and culture, Jonatan Leandoer Håstad‘s work has always been a blend of outsider art and pop genius. His 2010s run of records and singles are unpolished in places, sure, but works like Stranger and Unknown Death 2002 showcase a young and troubled creative behind the bravado of his hip-hop persona. The debauchery of this persona caught up to him around 2016, catalogued primarily on Warlord and Frost God. Since then, the road to recovery has been evident in his discography, be it his Yung Lean moniker or his Jonatan Leandoer96 side-project. The latter always seemed like a means for him to embrace his singer-songwriter side, complete with hypnagogic idiosyncrasies and a focus on Håstad‘s natural singing voice. This dichotomy serves to illustrate the divorce between these two sides of Leandoer.

Any fans of fellow seminal internet rapper Lil Ugly Mane will certainly see a similarity between the lived experience of the two men; LUM (Travis Miller)’s own struggles with the weight of his alias were the fuel for 2021’s Volcanic Bird Enemy and the Voiced Concern, a complete departure from Memphis rap throwbacks. Much like Håstad, Miller was no stranger to experimenting outside his main project, but opted to release his surreal pop masterpiece under his main moniker. A deconstruction of the man behind LUM, Volcanic Bird Enemy is Miller attempting to cope and move on from his severe impostor syndrome from spending years embodying and being seen as someone he was not.

I see this year’s Jonatan as a similar situation to Volcanic Bird Enemy. In truth, this album has far more in common with the previous Leandoer96 record, Sugar World. As such, we can read this album as the man behind Yung Lean finally asserting dominance over the shadow of his legacy. Clearly a work of great pain and tribulation, we can hear the turmoil in Håstad‘s off-key belting and sorrowful lyrics on tracks like “Teenage Symphonies 4 God (God Will Only).” All the while, the contents of Jonatan are also painted by the separation of a relationship (“Paranoid Paparazzi” shows recollections of a toxic relationship, while “Swan Song” can be read as acceptance of this loss). Yet, unlike the complete depression and de-personalization of Volcanic Bird Enemy, we see glimmers of hope on “Changes” and “Forever Yung,” the latter’s music video showing Håstad literally laying Yung Lean to rest.

Truth be told, while the various themes of this album are completely touching and moving, it’s certainly a tough sell. Jonatan is the sound of someone (who we have heard in the past display the ability to sing in a traditionally better way) wailing more than singing at points, coming out of key at various points on every song. Similarly, much of the record’s production is strange and off-kilter, with work from regular collaborators and two songs from vaporwave/hypnagogic-pop legend Oneohtrix Point Never (“Changes” and “Terminator Symphony”). The resulting songs often hit strangely on first listen, but, if given time, the experimental beatwork and imperfect vocals result in achingly emotive tracks that depict the healing of an artist who’s had to work to learn who he really is. The songs regularly call back to music culture, illustrating an admiration for the artists that came before him (please see this Professor Skye video for a thorough breakdown of many of these interpolations and references) and, when combined with genuinely great song writing sensibilities and enthralling hooks, shows the progression of Håstad as an artist and a man.

So, if this sounds interesting to you, please consider listening to Jonatan. If not, I just wasted a few minutes of your time—lol. Lmao.

Anyways, seeing as it’s Friday and all, let me catch you up to speed on the flushings of the week:


Of course, lovely showings from TMP and TTT.


Stevo covered the debut of Svarta Havet, a big win for all the Finn-heads in the crowd:

Review: Svarta Havet – Månen ska lysa din väg


I did too many whippets at the Phish show and this review was in my drafts when I came to:

Review – Ancient Death – Ego Dissolution


The Podcast Players nearly drown in a vat of Baja Blast on the newest Toilet Radio:

Toilet Radio 559 – A Yum! Brands Content Experience


Big dog Falxifer had a measured assessment of everyone’s favorite(???) Death wannabes, Gruesome:

Review: Gruesome – Silent Echoes


Aaron is down with the Sithness in this Vader EP review: [No worries Sean, I’ll take the heat for this absolute dogshit pun ~Roldy]

Review: Vader – Humanihility


I DEMAND TO HEAR ABOUT YOUR GBUs, GODDAMMITOkay, thanks, bye.

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