Review: "21" - Maddox Jones

When you’re young, people will always tell you that you won’t be that way forever. Youth disappears, and suddenly you’re older than you ever thought you’d be, always looking back at your twenties like a distant memory. Maddox Jones has a different spin on that way of thinking with his single “21”, both reminiscing on those earlier years while acknowledging that it’s OK that those days have come and gone. A powerfully poignant ballad, the single’s melancholy yet hopeful soundscape will pull you into its world and have you reflecting on your own life. The message in “21” is one I think we all need to hear at some point in our lives, with us realizing that no matter what age you are, it’s OK if you don’t have everything figured out. Everyone’s pathway is different.

“21” is one of those songs that’ll have you laying on your bed, staring up at your ceiling, and feeling like you’ve just had one of the best pep talks of you life– like someone’s just put a hand on your shoulder, or given you a hug, and told you that everything is going to be fine, everything is going to work out. The soundscape will be a solace to all who love an uplifting ballad filled with a rich piano and moving guitar– I especially loved the transitional sections between the chorus and verses that have the percussion rising with the growing energy. Everything just moves together so well in this track. And, of course, the songwriting is brilliant here; there’s just so much to love about the lyricism and its full, cathartic acknowledgment of the loss of youth, but the remaining hope that lingers still. As Maddox sings, “That’s ok / It’s alright / I’m gonna figure it out sometime”, you’ll feel along with him the sensation of letting go, and being completely accepting of that.

Maddox Jones is a British singer-songwriter making soul pop. Having grown up in a commune with no television nor much access to the outside world, he was ultimately drawn to creating music as a child. With sounds like Coldplay, Teddy Swims, and Imagine Dragons, Maddox combines all the best elements of pop and infuses it with his own soulful style. His debut solo release “Headspace” dropped in 2020, and was followed later that year by his EP of the same name, Headspace EP. “21” was originally part of his 2024 album Waiting For The World To Turn; he has since re-released the track as a single, the new mix being recorded in Nashville at Martina McBride’s Blackbird Studio. It was tracked by Lowell Reynolds and mixed at Sputnik Sound by the six-time Grammy-Award winning producer Vance Powell. For those of you who enjoyed “21”, I highly suggest you give Waiting For The World To Turn a listen, as well as the rest of Maddox’s fantastic discography!

Written By Alexa Leung

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