Review: "Sweetmouth" - KENTON
- Jazz Williams
- 7 minutes ago
- 3 min read
Queer Asian American musician, KENTON, looks to prove himself as one of pop’s rising stars with his debut album. The debut album, Sweetmouth, explores queer identity, religion, self-love, and familial love. Sweetmouth was his childhood nickname. It’s a Chinese phrase for an adorable and obedient child. The name was chosen because it represents the processing of shame, guilt, grief, and anger he’s harbored over the years to come to the point in his adulthood where he can finally choose love and forgiveness.
I'm Breaking My Father's Heart
Vaporize Me
Gift of Loneliness
Doing Alright
3 AM in Taipei
Elephant Mountain
Dirty Laundry
Never Born
Wannabe American
Like A River
Without You
Back to Love
Who Would I Be
Sweetmouth
Let Light In
KENTON is an up and coming artist having grown up in Irvine and raised by Taiwanese immigrants. He has previously toured with Katy Perry during her Las Vegas residency and supported major artists such as Benson Boone, Billie Eilish, Cynthia Erivo, and Jennifer Hudson. He is also an actor having appeared in numerous commercials and TV shows including Superstore, The Rookie, and Perfect Harmony. Currently based out of Los Angeles, this album journey actually began when he went to visit his parents in Taiwan for Thanksgiving. It was the first time they had seen each other in six years. Let’s see how it inspired his music.
The album starts with I’m Breaking My Father’s Heart, a stripped back ballad about choosing to forgive his parents for not accepting his sexuality. It’s a bold move to start an album with a ballad, but it’s the perfect opener given the personal subject matter. Next, Vaporize Me is an about wanting someone to take him away from his problems. Continuing with another fun one, Gift of Loneliness is about being happy in his own skin after coming to terms with his sexuality.
Back with another ballad, Doing Alright is a soulful expression of being satisfied with life after breaking away from the church. Jumping into another instant classic, 3 AM in Taipei is about trying to figure out who you are during a drunken night. This one is particularly interesting because he sings the bridge in Mandarin. Elephant Mountain is one of three interludes on the album. It refers to a popular destination in Taipei that overlooks the entire city. The other two interludes are Like A River and Who Would I Be and they are all reminiscent of the relaxing music played at the spa.
Fast forward to Dirty Laundry, a song airing out family drama. The second half of the song is a robotic/distorted spoken word where he’s venting about his parents’ treatment of him. Moving onto another ballad, Never Born, which is an absolute tearjerker. His vocals shine on every ballad, but this one hits closest to home. Wannabe American pretty much sums up American culture: stealing from other cultures and passing it off as their own. Winding down the album, Without You, Back to Love, and Sweetmouth show him letting go and forgiving his family after all these years. Free from the weight of resentment, he can finally choose love as is evident with the album closer, Let Light In.
As a multifaceted and accomplished individual, his album does not fall short of expectations. Consisting of ballads, bops, and interludes, Sweetmouth is a pop album influenced by R&B, soul, funk, and electronic music whilst incorporating Chinese/Taiwanese instruments. My top three favorites from this album are 3 AM in Taipei, Never Born, and Wannabe American. A major focal point of the album was his culture so, as a result, I learned some interesting facts about Taipei. I loved the storytelling and I resonate with the honest lyricism of his lived experiences. My hope is that it can reach other queer people of color as well!
Written By Jazz
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