New Album Review: Jon Batiste- World Music Radio

Jon Batiste- World Music Radio

Label: Verve

Producers: Jon Batiste, Jon Bellion, Roget Chahayed, Chassol, Braxton Cook, Zach Dawes, DJ Khalil, Ryan Lynn, The Monsters & Strangerz, Pete Nappi, Nelson Ray, Kaleb Rollins, Enrique Sanchez, Johnny Simpson, Wesley Singerman, Jahaan Sweet, Taydex, TenRoc, Nick Waterhouse, Dan Wilson

The multi-faceted Jon Batiste returns to the scene with his seventh studio release, an ambitious concept album that holds the dubious task of following up an all-genre Grammy winning record in 2021’s We Are. Batiste carries forward with the diverse stylistic framework of his preceding work in bold fashion, crafting an hour’s worth of music that spans a cultural kaleidoscope of sounds ranging from reggae, Western, and indigenous to jazz, straight-up pop, and Hip-Hop. All the while, he welcomes a large roster of guests including everyone from Lana Del Rey and Lil Wayne to Kenny G and Jon Bellion. This expansive variety is woven together conceptually by amusing spoken interludes from fictional DJ, Billy Bob Bo, which adds even more character and color to an album that was certainly not short on it. The audacious task of creating a record of cohesion in the midst of all of this cannot be taken lightly, and it surely came with the risk of creating one big mess. And while it may become a little long in the tooth as World Music Radio trudges toward the sixty-minute mark, Batiste ultimately pulls it all off thanks to his signature personality and smooth confidence, not to mention his mind-blowing range and talent. There are countless moments of musical joy and beauty throughout this album (the most understated, “Butterfly”, is naturally my personal favorite), and Batiste handles each unique cultural pivot with the utmost reverence and authenticity. The man’s musical chops and breadth of knowledge is clearly encyclopedic, and he’s obviously committed to making his music more of a cultural contribution, rather than a commercial one. It’s a remarkable achievement that he should find great pride in.

Track Listing:

1. “Hello, Billy Bob” (Jon Batiste, Rahm Silverglade)
2. “Raindance” featuring Native Soul (Batiste, Andre Lindal, Jason Cornet, Jon Bellion, Jordan K. Johnson, Stefan Johnson, Justin Bieber, Michael Pollack, Nasri Atweh, Pete Nappi, Rodney Jerkins, Sean Anderson)
3. “Be Who You Are” featuring JID, New Jeans, and Camilo (Batiste, Bellion, Nappi, Cornet, Headley Bennett, Huford Brown, Anthony Ferguson, Robert Lyn, Jackie Mittoo, Leory Sibbles, Fitzroy Simpson, Gigi, Ylva Dimberg, Camilo, Destin Route)
4. “Worship” (Batiste, Bellion, Nappi, Cornet)
5. “My Heart” featuring Rita Payes (Batiste, Braxton Cook, Enrique Sanchez, Jahaan Sweet, Ray Nelson II, Rita Payes)
6. “Drink Water” featuring Jon Bellion and Fireboy DML (Batiste, Bellion, Nappi, Adedmola Oyinlola Adefolahan, Johnny Simpson, Elisha Noll)
7. “Calling Your Name” (Batiste, Bellion, Nappi, Cornet)
8. “Clair de Lune” featuring Kenny G (Batiste, Kenny G)
9. “Butterfly” (Batiste, Dan Wilson)
10. “17th Ward Prelude” (Batiste)
11. “Uneasy” featuring Lil Wayne (Batiste, Bellion, Nappi, Cornet, Lil Wayne)
12. “Call Now (504-305-8269)” featuring Michael Batiste (Batiste, Nija Charles, Chahayed, Singerman, Taylor Dexter)
13. “Chassol” (Chassol featuring Jon Batiste) (Chassol)
14. “Boom for Real” (Batiste)
15. “Movement 18 (Heroes)” (Batiste)
16. “Master Power” (Batiste, Nick Waterhouse)
17. “Running Away” featuring Leigh-Anne (Batiste, Leigh-Anne, Khalil Abdul-Rahman, Nathaniel J. Warner, Charles, Nikki Grier, Chahayed, Singerman)
18. “Goodbye, Billy Bob” (Batiste)
19. “White Space” (Batiste)
20. “Wherever You Are” (Batiste, Cornet, Nappi)
21. “Life Lesson” featuring Lana Del Rey (Batiste, Lana Del Rey)