Did we all ‘butcher’ adan diaz‘s first name so much so that he made the correct pronunciation be the title of his new EP, ah-dawn? Probably not. But, at least for the light-hearted first three tracks, that theory is explorable. As the EP progresses though, the lyrics get more heartfelt and vulnerable, introducing us to another side of the Chicago-bred bedroom-pop artist.

20-year-old adan has been releasing music since he made his debut — via the label GODMODE — more than 4 years ago. His first two EPs, 2021’s legroom and 2023’s luchador, effectively showcased his raw talent. Since then, he has shown tremendous growth, as evidenced by his Lollapalooza debut earlier this year.

About fifteen minutes long, ah-dawn makes for an easy listen. The first two tracks “shake, shake” and “jsyk” set the tone with their playful admission of lust and infatuation. On “jerk x2”, the artist admits his obnoxious tendencies while admiring the pleasant nature of his romantic interest.

“the middle” is a sweet-sounding expression of adan’s post-breakup pain and longing, with the singer-songwriter getting more pensive and passionate on the next track, “why can’t it be me”. His frustrations and heartache become full-blown on “run it all back”, a hooky indie track characterized by lovely guitars and a mild groove.

If you were looking forward to being pleasantly surprised by this EP, the final track (and lead single) won’t disappoint. “young picasso” sees diaz depart from his signature guitar-driven style, creating a vulnerable piano ballad that shows us that not only is he evolving musically, he’s also growing as a person.

So then the question about adan’s choice of EP title, which we pondered at the beginning, is rendered irrelevant. ah-dawn is the artist simply embracing growth, trading teenage angst with young adult introspection.

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