YouTube has brought many aspiring artists to stardom including: Justin Bieber, Cody Simpson, Charice, Karmin and the latest addition Jason Chen. Chen just released his first album titled Gravity. Chen’s first cover, Ryan Tedder’s “The Look,” was posted on his channel minniachillies four years ago. Now 151 videos and over 60,000 subscribers later Chen has finally been able to record his very own album. Although it has not received much attention from viewers there are a few songs that deserve a second listen. 

The title song “Gravity,” unfortunately is not very impressive. The electro-sounding start of the song seemed a little out of place with the rest of the song. I guess the music is supposed to sound space-like considering the title, but it didn’t really fit with Chen’s usual choice of covers. But I can appreciate his adventure with different types of songs. Lyrics wise the words are pretty basic love at first sight themed. But Chen’s voice does it justice, with only a small hint of auto tune, perhaps to coincide with the space-theme. Although this particular song was a bit disappointing, the other songs make up for it.

Another song that is relatively popular with listeners is “No Distance.” This song does a great job revealing what Chen’s voice is really capable of. Chen doesn’t miss a single note, especially the high notes. The music is consistent with Chen’s singing profile. However, it has a more obvious pop song sound compared the others. It’s about no how far matter one is from their beloved one love, has the power to close that distance. “. . . No matter how far we are from each other, there’s no distance from you and I.” Surprisingly this isn’t the most listened to song on the album.

The most popular song on the album is “Best Friend,” and it’s not surprising why the music video has over two million views on YouTube. The story is not something we haven’t heard before; it’s about him falling for his best friend. The song opens with a piano followed by a set of background beats. Overall the song is pretty simple, but it’s the simplicity that really attracts the listener. So many songs of the same genre are laced with unnecessary noise and degrading lyrics, hearing something so innocent and basic is a nice change from what is usually on the radio. The small budget music video is cute and fun, and a reminder of how hard every musician works to fulfill their dreams. Chen has also recorded a version in Chinese.

In its entirety, Gravity is a decent debut for Chen. With a powerful voice and a growing fan base, there is a good chance Chen will rise to the top one day. For now I’ll conclude with Chen’s catch phrase “Music never sleeps.”