Recommended Tracks: “SELF-IMMOLATION,” “AUTONOMOUS DELIVER ROBOT,” “YOU MADE ME THIS WAY”
Artists You May Like: Linkin Park, Rage Against The Machine, Green Day
grandson is pissed (and rightfully so).
In a time where one can either turn to violence in response to the frustrations of the world or bury themselves under a rock for safety, Jordan Benjamin, better known as grandson, opens up another outlet to deal with the anger: music.
INERTIA is thirty minutes of pure fury at full force. If you’re looking to take a break, you’ve joined the wrong revolution. Backed up with tireless live instruments, a deep-rooted rage, and a heated desire for change, grandson is back and better than ever.
grandson is not only known for blending the rock and hip-hop genres, but he simultaneously serves as an activist and social critic, using his platform to shed light on education and political injustice. In short, he’s not one to bend a knee to “the man,” and INERTIA is no exception.
While his 2023 album, I Love You, I’m Trying, was a diverse, vulnerable project that explores self-reflection and interpersonal relationships, the “Blood // Water” singer blends his musical progression with his roots in his latest work. Moving from the thoughts of the individual to the criticism of many, INERTIA condemns dystopian technology developments, injustices faced by the working class, and the polarizing political landscape of 2025 — and this only scratches the surface.
INERTIA demands a mosh pit from the jump with the unnerving opening track “BURY YOU.” With massive Rage Against The Machine influence, this powerful opener sets the tone of the guitar-heavy following nine tracks. Seriously, there is not a single song on this album that doesn’t scream with guitar.
grandson speaks out against the rapid development of artificial intelligence with an ironically humorous track, “AUTONOMOUS DELIVERY ROBOT.” Seething against energy-wasting tech like self-driving vehicles, the Las Vegas sphere, and ChatGPT, it’s much bigger than a complaint about a silly little robot delivering packages. Serving as a standout track, it brings the unnerving reality of never escaping a digital footprint to the forefront: “And now the internet’s no longer a democracy / And my digital footprint follows me / So I could never outrun / The autonomous delivery robot.”
The theme of “AUTONOMOUS DELIVERY ROBOT” blends seamlessly into the lead single “BRAINROT,” an anti-doomscrolling anthem criticizing humans’ over-dependence on social media. Demanding a temporary high and a dose of dopamine, we are smacked in the face with a reminder of how sad it is to be desensitized to the world’s trauma.
The darkest track on the album is “SELF-IMMOLATION,” recalling the story of Aaron Bushnell, a U.S. Air Force serviceman who set himself on fire in a protest for Palestine directly in front of the Embassy of Israel in Washington, D.C. Atop an in-your-face, hardcore instrumental, this eye-opening track is a declaration that Bushnell has not died in vain, and he will be a name for the history books. It appears that grandson’s tour in support of Linkin Park had an influence on “SELF-IMMOLATION,” and his long-time close relationship with vocalist/guitarist Mike Shinoda makes this welcome comparison no surprise.
grandson points a finger and directly blames the system for his outrage in “YOU MADE ME THIS WAY,” a dominant track that even the artist himself claims as one of his favorites. This song demands a circle pit like none other. Simultaneously serving as a critical pro-choice anthem and highlighting the hypocrisy of the pro-life stance, grandson shares an honest account of his upbringing that caused him to be as radicalized as he is.
“YOU MADE ME THIS WAY” keeps listeners on their toes with a mid-song tone shift, moving into a whisper before delivering lyrics that shook me to my core. This song is the heart of grandson’s movement that he began the moment he put lyrics to paper:
“Ban a woman’s right to choose, but at the gun show there’s nothing they can do / So I guess this shootout in the street was the only way that I’d find my peace / You say I’m a problem, not a symptom / But it’s a symbiotic system / I’m a martyr, I’m a victim / And my heart beats with the kick drum.”
In case you didn’t understand his message, grandson speaks loud and clear on “LITTLE WHITE LIES.” In this hard-hitting track, he speaks against the hypocrisy of religious, fundamental principles as “exclusionary radical agendas.” Unlike his other songs, “LITTLE WHITE LIES” features an entirely spoken-word introduction, making it feel like the singer himself is yelling in the room beside you. Have no fear; the song kicks back into the hardcore INERTIA tone, screaming, “Fuck that, we will not bow down to authority.”
Angst-ridden banger “GOD IS AN ANIMAL” serves as “an allegory about resistance, the underdog, defiance, and the unrealized power inside of us all.” It screams of Rage Against the Machine influence, which is no coincidence considering grandson’s close ties to legendary rocker Tom Morello. To tie the connection in closer, the seventh track is co-written by producer Kevin Hissink, known for his work with Morello.
In a song that should share the stage with the likes of Green Day, “BELLS OF WAR” transforms the frustrations of the earlier songs and orders a direct call to action. With a passionate scream from the gut, this short but to-the-point song feels like the other side of “WWIII,” a song from his debut album Death of an Optimist (2020). While “WWIII” sings of the concerns of battle, “BELLS OF WAR” accepts that a fight needs to happen for reform to occur.
We round the corner to the sole feature on INERTIA with English punk-rockers Bob Vylan on the thought-provoking “WHO’S THE ENEMY.” It’s a beautiful way of channeling grandson’s anger into his music, in one more powerful punch before the conclusion. The epic collaboration solidifies not only the relationships between the revolutionary artists, but also their messages of unifying people to fight against injustice and rise above the establishment on either side of the pond. The guest verse serves as one of the only calmer points in the album, really driving the message home that the enemy can only kill you if you let them. This is expressed in a calmly yet powerfully spoken conclusion:
“And we arrive on the shore in a cold world / Built off the backs of those from the old world / Still labeled a threat / Homeland driven with debt / But the enemy we faced hasn’t killed us yet.”
If you were waiting for the album ballad, I have some bad news for you…that’s not happening on INTERIA. Mixing his heavier sound from the album with his classic hip-hop and electronic influences midway, grandson will not slow down even in the closing song. “PULL THE TRIGGER” is a sinister, literal craving for justice… urging listeners to come away from the project with a new motivation to fight for what they believe in. A blunt call out on gun control, he sings:
“It’s a good thing I picked up a pen, or it would’ve been a machine gun I picked up instead / I would fill it with lead, walk into school, head up to my / I’m ’bout to hit the high score / My skin is white, so you would say I need a therapist / If it was brown, you would call me a terrorist / And that night, when everybody’s asleep, you would watch it on repeat.”
It’s safe to say that grandson has made his message loud and clear on this appropriately named album. INERTIA: (/iˈnərSHə/) The natural tendency of objects in motion to stay in motion and objects at rest to stay at rest, unless a force causes its velocity to change.
I finished this album both motivated and inspired. I finished this album both upset and angry. I finished this album both grateful for music and for grandson. His songs give me hope that as long as we have music and we have passion, as long as we continue to be an unmoving force and never rest, we the people are capable of anything.
INERTIA is now available to stream on most streaming platforms.
Keep up with grandson: Instagram // Spotify // YouTube // Facebook // X
