If his name doesn’t ring a bell, the intro of one of his biggest hits, “Ginseng Strip 2002”, will definitely bring up good memories of the 2010s. Jonatan Aron Leandoer Håstad better known as Yung Lean, is a Swedish rapper who became one of the most influential rappers in the cloud rap era. After his first studio album, “Unknown Memory” in 2014, his unique instrumentals, monotone delivery, and raunchy lyrics inspired notable names such as Travis Scott, A$AP Rocky, Lil Uzi Vert, and Charli XCX.
In later years, his music took more of an emotional approach with his 2017 album “Stranger”, in which he openly explores his struggles with his mental health, psychosis, and schizophrenia poetically in the song “Agony”. This emotional shift in his music not only touched the hearts of fans worldwide, but also artists such as Trippie Redd and XXXTentacion. His mix of grunge, melancholic lyricism, autotune, and emotional originality became what is now known as “sad boy aesthetic”. Lean has become an artist of emotional expressiveness through a variety of perspectives, which is an aspect that fans adore.
This year, Lean is going on his “Forever Yung” Tour after his February 2025 release of the “Jonatan” album and will be at The Anthem on October 19th performing alongside The Taxidermists. Grab your tickets here, doors open at 8pm!