Many people know him for his hit single “Honeypie”, his long bleached hair, or the fact that he dated Doja Cat a while back, but who actually is JAWNY?
Growing up in the San Francisco Bay area, JAWNY – born Jacob Sullenger – learned to play guitar at age six. Soon after, he began experimenting with writing songs, but then he actually went to college for nursing. After a brief time in higher medical education, Sullenger decided to drop out and pursue music. In the meantime however, he was not quite a rockstar, but rather managed a New Jersey pizzeria to cover the bills.
He released his first EP in 2018 under the name Johnny Utah (based off Keanu Reeve’s character in Point Break), and finally struck gold a year later when his hit single “Honeypie” went viral and earned him millions of streams on Spotify. In 2020, he was signed to Interscope Records and changed his name to JAWNY because the Instagram handle of “johnnyutah” was already taken. From there, he released another popular single and introduced his debut mixtape – For Abby.
His second EP, titled The Story of Hugo and released in 2021, was really unique because the entire EP was dedicated to telling the story of fictional Hugo, as well as serving as a prequel for For Abby. This approach to music spotlighted JAWNY’s narrative style and highlighted his ability to offer something deeper than just catchy beats. While lots of his songs focus on the pain of heartbreak or feelings not being reciprocated, these messages are presented in funky, upbeat ways.
His music is so fun because each song introduces a new riff or fun sound effect, meshing in perfectly with his purposely weird brand image. Different chords that one wouldn’t typically expect to work together are sewn into a song, often a little bit “off-center” but that’s what makes it so fun to listen to. JAWNY’s work is simultaneously meaningful while not taking himself too seriously. The use of mainly guitar, drums, and a sprinkling of guitar sets the stage for Sullenger’s slightly raspy voice and creates a perfect mix of indie and pop; songs are catchy without being overly-synthesized, presenting an authentic, upbeat listening experience.
For a debut album, It’s Never Fair, Always True is a strong piece of work that has been years in the making. I feel like strong compositions, layered with funky chords and fuzzy background vocals, highlight how JAWNY has grown into his own unique style and offer a more coherent selection of songs than his earlier works. The instrumentation in some songs can be a bit strong (like the rock intro in ”take it back” feat. Beck), but the impressive thing is that Sullenger makes it work. The exploration of different genres and adoption of select styles work to compliment one another, rather than make things confusing. JAWNY is an acquired taste, but once you’ve been listening for long enough you’ll be hooked.
My Top Ten:
- “strawberry chainsaw” (It’s Never Fair, Always True)
- “Super Bad Mantra” feat. Christian Blue (For Abby)
- “wide eyed” (It’s Never Fair, Always True)
- “Can Ya” (The Story of Hugo)
- “Anything You Want” (For Abby)
- “In A Moment”
- “Honeypie” (For Abby)
- “take it back” (The Story of Hugo)
- “Sabatoge” (For Abby)
- “Running”
For fans of Dayglow, The Rare Occasions, and COIN.
