I know what you’re thinking: I’m a little late on writing about this album, considering it was released in April. But, the time that has passed between its release and now has allowed me to fully dissect and apply it to my life. I’ve written in the past about the hardships of evolving into an adult who deals with adult things and emotions (you know, the works), and even created a playlist of songs that encapsulate these tough feelings. But I wanted to focus in this article solely on the album, “Neotheater” by AJR, because it so accurately and emotionally captures what it’s like to fear growing up, navigate relationships and deal with the trials of adulthood. Though there are 12 (great) songs on the album, these five never fail to make me feel less alone in this awkward and confusing stage of my life.
- “Don’t Throw Out My Legos”
-
I’m not gonna lie, sometimes I cry when I listen to this one. Despite its upbeat nature, the lyrics are so relevant to my life that it makes me emotional. It’s all about finding independence in moving out and away from family, then finding yourself scared and in need of that comfort that only home can provide. I love my independence but I also love and miss living under the same roof as my family.
“Don’t throw out my Legos. What if I can’t let go? What if I come back home?”
Told you, it’s a tearjerker.
- “Wow, I’m Not Crazy”
-
It’s funny that they wrote this song because it’s exactly how this entire album makes me feel — not so lonely in this weird headspace of mine. In this tune, the brothers of AJR dissect the way we often think we’re totally and completely alone in our feelings. I’ve definitely been there. I always wondered why I was the only one struggling, whether it be in adapting to college life, being away from hometown friends or leaving the familiar behind altogether. Clearly, our fears and feelings are more common among others than we assume.
“Frankly, I feel insane. But you say you feel the same. And suddenly it’s like, “Hey, I’m not crazy.”
- “Next Up Forever”
-
If you find yourself fearing that you’ve hit your peak, that the best days of your life are behind you, then this is the song for you. As someone who used to constantly wish for time to fly by so that I could reach my next milestone, this song was an eyeopener. The band writes about their fear of moving forward, of hitting their peak and becoming irrelevant and not living up to expectations. It’s hard to appreciate the present if we are constantly worried about falling behind. That’s what this song reminds me.
“I’m kinda scared of graduation. ‘Cause who am I when this is done? I wanna be next up forever, so the best is always yet to come.”
- “100 Bad Days”
-
You might have heard this one on the radio, and rightfully so. It’s got an extremely catchy tune. But more importantly, it sends a meaningful message. It’s always difficult to see the bright side in our bad days, but this song reminds us to look them in the eye and find the positives. Hey, at least this misfortune will make for an interesting story down the road. It’s honestly a great way to look at the negatives.
“When all is going wrong and you’re scared as hell, what you gonna do? Who you gonna tell? Maybe a hundred bad days made a hundred good stories.”
- “Karma”
-
Sometimes life just isn’t fair. That’s the basic message in “Karma,” and it’s very relatable. AJR speaks directly to a psychiatrist in this one, asking where all of the effort they’ve put in has gone. Sometimes it feels like we’ve done everything right and good in the world, but we still feel empty and low despite it all. It’s a pretty cruddy feeling. This song is real, raw and describes that difficulty perfectly.
“I’ve been so good, but it’s still getting harder. I’ve been so good, where the hell is the karma?”
Well, AJR has done it again. When I listen to this album, I feel like dancing with tears in my eyes. I’m grateful that an album can accurately capture my emotions during this weird stage of emerging adulthood. I’ll be patiently waiting for the next album, which will hopefully be all about navigating your mid-twenties.