Singer/songwriter Jon Bellion makes contemporary pop that mixes R&B, hip-hop, and indie rock influences. Born on Long Island, New York, Bellion grew up focusing on his love of basketball. However, in his junior year of high school, his long-gestating love of music, spurred on by such influences as Timbaland, Pharrell Williams, J Dilla, and Eminem, came into bloom after he began writing songs on his brother’s keyboard.
After high school, Bellion enrolled in the music program at Long Island’s Five Towns College, where he ensconced himself in the vibrant local music scene. After graduating, Bellion continued pursuing his performance career, eventually garnering wider attention after his song “The Monster” was included on Eminem’s 2013 album, Marshall Mathers LP 2.
In 2012, Jon Bellion wrote the chorus to the song “The Monster” by Eminem featuring Rihanna. This song won a Grammy Award in the 2015 Grammy Awards for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration. Bellion also co-wrote and produced the song “Trumpets” by Jason Derulo in 2012, which was not released until 2013 in the UK and 2014 in the US.
Bellion also provided vocals for the 2015 EDM song “Beautiful Now” by Zedd and opened the concerts from the third leg of Twenty One Pilots’ Emotional Roadshow World Tour.
Having already penned hits for superstars, Bellion took a major solo turn releasing four mixtapes and one studio album – The Human Condition, released on June 10, 2016, and it debuted at number five on the US Billboard 200; an alternately beautiful and banging set of pure, modern pop that finds him tackling heady subject matter in relatable terms.
In 2013, Bellion released his debut mixtape, Translation Through Speakers, and followed it late in the year with the Separation mixtape. Featuring the social networking hits “Simple and Sweet” and “Human,” a third mixtape, The Definition, appeared in the fall of 2014.
Currently signed to Visionary Music Group and Capitol Records, Bellion composes and produces all of his own music.
Jon credits much of his musical development and success to the guys in his band whom he met while in college, expressing his love for them in his “Beautiful Mind Documentary” stating, “everybody in my band has taught me something, and has gotten me to where I am because of them” continuing “I surround myself with people better than me at something, you will very rarely see somebody around me, especially musically, who I don’t look up to”.
The single “All Time Low” arrived in 2015 and accumulated tens of millions of streams by the time his debut album, The Human Condition, was released in June 2016 via Capitol Records. The album debuted at number five on the Billboard 200 chart.
Awards
- Won a Grammy at the 57th annual Grammy Awards Show held Sunday night at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.
The very talented singer/songwriter from Long Island won for his work on “The Monster” by Eminem & Rihanna, which was awarded Best Rap/Sung Collaboration, while The Marshall Mathers LP2, which included his track, was voted Best Rap Album.
- MTV Europe Music Awards
2017Got nomination for MTV Europe Music Award Best Push
- Radio Disney Music Awards
2017 Got nomination for Radio Disney Music Award The Freshest – Best New Artist
Top Songs
- Number 1: All Time Low – A Platinum single with Bellion coming out strong on this single and feature song on “The Human Condition”. Peaked at #16 on 1.14.2017
Bellion relays the feelings of many as he recounts the one who got away, and how he still misses and wants her. A deep swinging beat and melodic vocals, combined with catchy and sing-able lyrics.
- Number 2: Overwhelming (2017 release)
- Number 3: Maybe IDK – off The Human Condition album of 2016
- Number 4: Human – released in 2014.
Bonus Tracks
- 80’s films – The velvety, hip-hop-informed soft-rock of “80’s Film,” This song reminisces the popular romantic culture in a lot of ’80s movies. He tells the story of a girl he’s interested in and hooking up with.
He looks back at his high school days, wondering if he made the right choices in life. Also, he name drops a Long Island town (Smithtown) and that’s a big deal to people who live there (me).
- Hand of God – enlists the same choir that backed MJ on 1987’s “Man in the Mirror” for “Hand of God”—an ethereal, gospel-pop finale that detonates like fireworks in space.
- Guillotine ft. Travis Mendes – This song is pure poetry. It starts off as a ballad but then goes into a funky bass-driven track that just mixes everything together perfectly. Take a listen to the song and just focus on the words.
It’s unbelievable how he puts them together. His words are, “The secrets you tell me, I’ll take to my grave. There’s bones in my closet, but you hang stuff anyway. I know that you love me even when I lose my head. Guillotine.”
