Album Review: While The World Was Burning by SAINt JHN
By Abby Cooper
SAINt JHN dropped his third collection “While The World Was Burning,” on Nov. 20, 2020. This release was highly anticipated, as it was his first album since Imanbek’s “Roses” remix pulled SAINt JHN to the top of the charts. SAINt JHN did not disappoint – this collection showcases the depth of SAINt JHN’s creativity and vocal range and proves that he cannot be fit into any single box.
His unique artistic style combines elements of contemporary R&B and trap music to produce a melodic composition that simultaneously drips with melancholy and grandeur. The duality of SAINt JHN’s style is what is most attractive to me – he infuses raw emotion into his vocals while creating bangers that you can dance to in the club. If I didn’t know that SAINt JHN grew up idolizing rappers Jay Z and Jadakiss, I would think he has grunge rock influences, as his heavy denim and leather outfit choices and skeleton and motorcycle imagery cover art suggests.
The downcast undertones carry throughout the album, but the melodies generally grow more upbeat as the album progresses. (SAINt JHN)
While I haven’t been a SAINt JHN fan since “Collection One,” I hopped on the fandom before Imanbek’s “Roses” remix gained popularity on TikTok and topped the charts. As a Lil Baby fan, I found my way to SAINt JHN’s record “Trap” featuring Lil Baby, and was immediately hooked. While we can’t ignore SAINt JHN’s charisma, iconic fashion sense and chiseled body, each and every one of his past records slaps. I am still surprised how underrated SAINt JHN is for the level of talent and creativity he has. For those who have not yet listened to SAINt JHN’s past albums “Collection One” and “Ghetto Lenny’s Love Songs,” you are certainly in for a treat.
I was excited to see SAINt JHN continue to define his music on “While The World Was Burning.” It is clear that every choice he made – from the cover art, song order, and artist features – is intentional and enhances his art. The feature list alone blew me away, with verses from 6LACK, Kehlani, Kanye West, JID, A Boogie wit da Hoodie, DaBaby, and Lil Uzi Vert. While the presence of such big names is impressive, don’t let that distract you from the main course: the beautiful lyricism that is this masterpiece.
SAINt JHN opens his third collection with “Sucks To Be You,” lamenting lost love and the challenges of growing up in poverty. Combining past relationships with the hardships of his life is not new; on “Trap” he continuously refers to the hustle and struggles to survive as the feminine “she.” The downcast undertones carry throughout the album, but the melodies generally grow more upbeat as the album progresses.
“Monica Lewinsky, Election Year,” and “High School Reunion, Prom” are remakes (not remixes) of songs that appear on “Ghetto Lenny’s Love Songs.” Recreating these songs is a testament to the care and thoughtfulness that SAINt JHN puts into his work. Plus, the inclusion of these songs with modified titles made me laugh. And as SAINt JHN said in his interview with TIDAL, laughing means excitement.
The album closes with Imanbek’s “Roses” remix, an upbeat, electronic track that most people can’t help but bob their head to. I absolutely love this track, but if you haven’t listened to the original “Roses” from “Collection One,” I strongly recommend it. I wouldn’t classify it as better or worse; the track just has a completely different vibe.
Make sure to watch the full album visualizer for “While The World Was Burning.” The video is shot in a strip club, but it is not the cringe-worthy scene typically associated with strip club movie scenes. Rather, the video features incredibly talented dancers whose art form beautifully enhances the music.
Here are my top five tracks:
1. “Ransom” ft 6LACK and Kehlani
“Ransom” features a minimalist beat and does a phenomenal job showcasing SAINt JHN’s versatility as both a singer and rapper. His melodic opening followed by 6LACK’s masterful verse and Kehlani’s ad-libs creates a track that speaks to the heart. 6LACK, Kehlani, and SAINt JHN are my top three artists of 2020, according to Spotify Wrapped, so this song is a dream come true for me.
2. “Gorgeous”
Where “Sucks To Be You” and “Ransom” carry tones of sorrow and heartbreak, “Gorgeous” falls on the opposite side of the spectrum as an absolute banger. This song pops off, with SAINt JHN’s classy form of arrogance. He raps: “I might buy six chains tonight/Just to say I did it.”
3. “Freedom is Priceless”
This is the first track that really jumped out to me (keep in mind it’s only the third song on the album). You can tell SAINt JHN is really coming into his own sound here. While SAINt JHN has said that he prefers to rap about his life and dumb stuff like strippers and cars, as opposed to making a political statement, I appreciate how this track does both.
4. “Quarantine Wifey” ft JID
I was surprised by the JID feature, but I really liked the combination. JID’s harder rap style compliments SAINt JHN’s grunge trap sound very well. The melody of this track goes crazy and the title/topic of the song is very relatable.
5. “Roses” ft Imanbek
As a hardcore EDM fan, Imanbek’s “Roses” remix is possibly one of my favorite songs of all time. However, I couldn’t rank it higher than fifth in the context of this album because I have heard it so many times.
Full Album Tracklist
Sucks To be You
Switching Sides
Freedom is Priceless
Roses Remix ft. Future
Monica Lewinsky, Election Year ft. Dababy & A Boogie wit da Hoodie
High School Reunion, Prom ft. Lil Uzi Vert
Pray 4 Me ft. Kanye West
Smack DVD ft. Kanye West
Time For Demons
Gorgeous
Quarantine Wifey ft. JID
Ransom ft. 6LACK & Kehlani
Back On The Ledge
Roses Remix ft. Imanbek
* Note: This is the tracklist from the Nov. 27 updated release of “While The World Was Burning,” which added the song “Smack DVD” ft. Kanye West, swapped the order of “Monica Lewinsky, Election Year,” “High School Reunion, Prom,” and “Roses Remix” ft. Future and changed the order of “Gorgeous” and “Time For Demons.”
Abby is a culture writer for La Tonique.
