John Alone dissects the chase of wealth on new 'Scared Money Pt. 1' EP

Following the welcome reception of his last two singles ‘Ego’ and ‘Show Up’, rising neo-soul artist John Alone presents his second EP of the year ‘Scared Money Pt. 1’.

The Nigerian-born, London-based talent has become somewhat of a prolific songwriter in recent times. After dropping two full length albums in 2020, ‘Babel!’ and ‘Spanish Blue’, John’s projects are coming thicker and faster as he continues to build on the momentum gained from this year’s ‘African English’ project.

His new ‘Scare Money Pt. 1’ EP plays out as more of an immersive experience than a musical project, designed to make you feel and purposed to conjure a thought. Following a pecuniary motif, the body of work circles around themes of money and fame, while pondering the true cost of happiness. 

Opener ‘Last Days’ is all encompassing of John’s new EP. Speaking about the track, he says: “Last Days perfectly encapsulates the core themes of ‘Scared Money’ for me, which, to my interpretation, is the endless pursuit and need for money, (something I am all too familiar with in my current stage of life), and the lengths people are sometimes capable of going to to acquire it. Money tends to cannibalise us against each other, but I’d rather die than be broke.”

In the succeeding tracks, John drives the message that money holds all the value in the world as well as nothing at all. He notes that ‘2011’ was inspired by the life of Mac Miller: “2011 is about how we use up artists, defying and dehumanising them often in the same breath. It zeros in on the fame and acclaim that come with a successful musical career, and the sex, drugs and manipulation that follow. It begs the question of whether it is acceptable to treat people as a product, even if they signed up for it themselves.” 

Cartwheeling between hypnotic synths and pangs of alt-R&B, John freestyles on each of the tracks on the EP aside from ‘Ego’, making ‘Scared Money Pt .1′ a truly candid offering of his unconscious mind.

Stream ‘Scared Money Pt. 1’ below or listen with your preferred player here.

‘Scared Money Pt. 1’ by John Alone is out now on Lonely Sun via DMY.