With the rise of the digital age, artists have made use of social media platforms such as Instagram and TikTok as means of advertising their content. For some newer musicians, this structure goes as far as basing their songs around the shorter, one minute time frame of the average TikTok or Instagram Reel. 

Jazz Emu, in addition to the creation of shorter songs, has found ways to capitalize on the platform while simultaneously engaging with the community. Whether this be dueting other singers, or hopping on the next musical trend going around, his recent works have surged in popularity, a welcome transition into his newest album release, Digital Spool, on September 1st.

For those who are unfamiliar with this musician, he is described in an interview conducted by Caper’s Magazine as, “[Jazz Emu], So-called for his excessively Dromaius frame, and exceptionally jazzy demeanor…” This description, in addition to being incredibly accurate, portrays the sense of humor found within his songs. Rather than the overwhelming majority of musicians who heavily base their music off of relationships and mental health, Jazz Emu takes a far more lighthearted approach to the craft. 

A large majority of their songs focus on an incredibly specific topic such as the discrepancies of pronunciation in the English language and the scenarios in which your friends overshadow a joke you made with an even funnier crack, two examples from his newest album. This style of songwriting has defined Jazz Emu’s career across all platforms, and yet, seems to remain a point of hesitancy for him. 

Some of the deeper songs of the album, namely “Tonally Inconsistent”, “In the Clear Now”, and the one that named the album, “Digital Spool”, stray from the casual nature of the others, opting rather for an analysis of his method of songwriting. These songs call into question the merit behind his lyrics, asking whether or not his community, the people who listen to his works, would even relate to the many topics he pours hours of his time and much of his heart into. Would he continue to grow or would his popularity, much like the very trends that brought him to this point, fizzle out in a matter of days? Although he does not find closure by the end of the album, it feels as if the inclusion of these songs were a necessary step in his musical career. 

One of my favorites from the album is “Still Waiting”, a single released in early June that was included in the final set. The music video and lyrics follows a man’s unhealthy obsession with waiting for a DVD logo to hit the corner of his TV, a popular meme now expressed through song.  

Another of my favorites is “Hummingbird”, an outlier from the usual fast-pace tempo of all songs prior. This calmer, far more personal composition makes use of beautiful chords on the piano and soothing humming to create a somber ambiance. The lyrics fight with the idea of just being adequate, the chorus referring to a dying hummingbird which, to what I’ve gathered, works as a metaphor for personal ambition and passions. The singer who desperately wants to return to the good old days, is unsure whether or not to resuscitate the bird or pull the plug on his dream.