Although Jaden’s mostly known for following in his famous dad’s musical footsteps, his latest single is a departure from his old-school influenced raps. “Photograph,” which comes from Jaden’s 2020 mixtape CTV3: Cool Tape Vol. 3, takes an even sharper left turn from that project’s pop-rock-oriented lead single “Cabin Fever,” slowing things way down for an indie-ish guitar ballad about the longing Jaden feels for an ex-flame.
Fittingly, the video for the song, released today, finds Jaden literally and figuratively drowning in his emotions as he wanders along the beach, getting lost in the waves. Several striking underwater shots punctuate the overwhelming melancholy he feels in the song’s lyrics as he croons, “I’m in the middle of the ocean and I need you right now / If I can’t love you, I guess I’ll just drown.”
Imagined as a prequel of sorts to his Syre and Erys albums, Cool Tape Vol. 3 tracks the sort of teenage love affair that does feel as big as an ocean — and just as mercurial. The project found him diverging from his usual style and reuniting with Justin Bieber on a song for the first time in a decade. More recently, Jaden returned to his rap roots to once again celebrate Marvel’s Miles Morales with “I’m Ready” from the Spider-Man: Miles Morales video game’s soundtrack.
Watch the “Photograph” video above.
