Why Do So Many People Hate AJR? 

READ BEFORE COMMENTING: Debated actually releasing this video because I feel like it wasn't well-written enough, but I really like how it turned out at least in presentation. Please don't take this silly little video seriously. --- UPDATE 2: I finally removed the closing remark about 3 O'clock Things. It wasn't a good point, especially in the way that I worded it. Thank you to everyone who pointed it out to me. --- UPDATE TO THE PIN: So a lot of people point out the "arrested development" feeling of a lot of AJR's songs; but I think that ties into them writing about their own lives. In several songs, Jack (The lead singer) makes it clear that he is very much still young and wants to be a kid (This theme is carried a lot through Neotheater and in the solo verse in OK Overture). They are capable of making "mature" songs, as seen when Ryan (Producer/percussionist) writes a song you get the more adult-sounding songs like Dear Winter, Turning Out Pt II, Call My Dad, and Netflix Trip. It comes off as genuine to me and it's something I can relate to, as I felt that I was forced to grow up too fast as a kid (And to an extent, still am). I can see it being a point of not liking the band, but at the very least there is some explanation to it. It's not pointless. Their lyrics aren't meaningless, you just might not be able to relate to and understand them as well as others might. --- Also managed to dodge a copyright claim from this video despite the entire visual sequence (bar maybe 30-45 seconds) being composed of music videos. Fair Use isn't dead, after all.

Pov: You're an AJR fan and you didn't realize that so many people hated them

“I think at a certain point, we stopped trying to be relatable, and just started being honest about our own flaws.” - AJR, 2020

I feel like the problem with vague lyrics is that it seems like anyone can write them, but AJR has the ability to include lines that can make their lyrics distinct.

AJR is one of those artists that are loved by fans but hated by most critics.

I’m fine with people not liking AJR, I can totally get why someone would hate them, considering I used to hate them too. It’s when the people go from “this band is bad” to “this band is bad, and you are too for liking them” that I have a problem with. I totally agree with you on this video

“My play is so childish!” “It’s from the perspective of a child.”

This is my first time finding out that there’s a hatred for AJR. I absolutely love them! I think they are unique and I feel a relation towards their songs. It’s a shame that people don’t like them.

AJR is my #1 band. I'm a 50 year old grandma. I love them so very much. Going to see them in Denver in June (a birthday gift from my 21 yo daughter) and I'm super excited. Their lyrics hit me so deeply on a level I can't explain. Tears. Tears.

Honestly i listen to AJR and i always find myself thinking that they’re just a band experimenting what they’re able to do with their music without making it sound bad. Even if some of the “quirks” they sprinkle throughout their albums have been done before by other musicians any number of times, it just seems like THEY still wanna try it out for themselves, to get a feel for it and be better able to understand what else they could try to do or how they could change and develop those quirks further, without making the music bad.

AJR is definitely one of the bands of all time

I love Burn The House Down because if you actually look at the lyrics, it's a lot about social change and that's something I really like about it. It has a super cool meaning and is told in a fun way!

I must say that I love AJR so much! As you mentioned, I can relate to a lot of their topics. They are very emotional and expressive. I love to dive deep into the lyrics or music sounds and notice all of the hidden details, like for example in 3o'clock things!

haven’t heard much of them but idk man that song weak a banger lmao

Old lady(58) here and just discovered this group about 2 weeks ago. Love them. Going by myself to see them in Texas in April by myself. That is how much I like them!!

thank you for making this, glad we have people who want to show their voice. literally looked up "positive ajr review" and it took me here. exactly what i needed

I love AJR! everyone hates them, for some reason why when someone disrespects them I feel disrespected lmaoo (pretty sure that's a problem) AJR is so good, I love their creativity, heidnejdndjd

I stumbled upon the band by accident a few months ago and was instantly surprised by how much I loved the beats and lyrics. It's relatable in a lot of ways and now my kiddos listen to them too.

I love how everyone’s looking at the meaning of their songs while I just listen to it for how unique and fun they sound, Burn The House Down is such a party song and everyone I’ve shown it to loved it, same goes for Bud Like You, Weak, Drama, Break My Face, Beats, Way less sad and Ordinaryish People just to name a few, all these songs I like and not just because of the meaning behind them but because they are uplifting and don’t sounds like something I can get from other artists.

Thank you for making this video! Would love a part 2 to talk more about why people hate AJR because I’ve seen too much slander in TikTok and sometimes in RU-vid.... AJR is this band that managed to give such an everlasting impact in my life in a span of few months and the first musicians that got me into albums and the process of how these songs are produced. Don’t get me wrong, people are entitled to their opinion and I have good friends who aren’t fans of AJR, and that’s okay. I just wish people would stop trashing on the fans for simply liking the band. Honestly, if someone were to ever insult AJR as actual people, I’d shove 3 O’Clock Things, Burn The House Down and It’s On Us to their faces. No, but seriously, there are times that I feel bad for liking AJR because of what I see in the internet and it shocks me because a lot of people enjoying AJR and the haters are just as strong. Listen, if you like AJR, you’re cool! If you don’t like AJR, that’s fine. I just hope we don’t trash or insult each other’s music taste because it honestly hurts like a lot.

I definitely appreciate the positive review on them. So many people use the excuse “they’re childish” without even listening to the meaning or missed the whole point of the song/album. New sub✌🏻 sending good vibes

I’m in the same boat as most, in the fact that I didn’t even realize there were people so fixated on hating one of my favorite bands. They’re such nice people and I was super confused lol. So I went internet searching and found your video. Thanks.

I feel like ajr always hits the nail on the head with relatability and depending on ur mood the meanings of the songs change (like any music ig) but with ajr something about it has always hit home. Birthday party is one I always have loved and the bluntness they use while speaking about the worlds issues I can see people disliking them and all but I need a better reason than their childish? I have only just realised their are people who really don’t like them so their might be better arguments but yeah I just feel like music is music sometimes it speaks to u, and sometimes it doesn’t. If it doesn’t then u don’t need to go out of ur way to hate an entire community but ofc u are aloud an opinion on the matter it is just honestly about how u voice that opinion

The one dislike is from Brad Taste in Music

i’ve always been a big fan of ajr but i never really went into other peoples opinions on them when i started reading post about them i was surprised that people really dislike them. i feel like their music is hard for others to get into

They're the Big Bang Theory of music. I like how that guy is always wearing that funny hat. Very quirky.

Dude this is an amazing video man!!!! I loved it and the end point hit as hard as that verse did!

incredible video man. you know i love ajr, and seeing this kind of analysis is truly incredible. keep it up bro, i can’t wait to see more from you!

A good reason to write a song about things that everyone goes through is that not everyone knows that everyone goes through them. Listening to a song that talks about depression, divorce, or any other hard topic can tell the listener that their feelings are not invalid and that other people do feel them. This can encourage them to get help confronting these feelings and significantly better their lives. I would also like to point out to the haters of AJR, or any band at all, that if you don't like, then you shouldn't listen to it. There is no objective ranking of music and people should stop treating it as such. Live and let live! Thanks for the video essay, it was a good explanation/defense of the band and an overall good video.

AJR was the band I needed in high school, and since then I've definitely been able to see why people might not like them, but like you I wondered why there seemed to be so much visceral hate towards them. Was thinking about making a video just like this, but I'm glad you did :) AJR will always have a special place in my heart.

All the AJR haters talk about how “they’re just trying to be *insert other artist*” or how their lyrics are “basic”

Amazing video! As an AJR fan, I’ve wondered this for the longest time. But if everything you said at the end is true, wouldn’t people find love songs and break up songs unremarkable too? Yet, so many popular songs exactly those (Driver’s License, Someone you loved, etc.)

The editing of your video is quite amazing^^ the arrangement and all the examples shows how much you look from many different people’s and emotional perspectives! Choices of song do matter in this section. I can totally agree with everything you say! Of course, I am a fan of AJR, but I also agree that some songs are not what you expect to like, but relating to it and making stuff that are lyrically and instrumentally change perspectives is also what they do! I might be _very_ young, but I can really understand that the simplicity and so ‘over-produced’ parts of the songs can also represent changes in mood of when you grow up, or how you look at life! Don’t mind this random part tho, I just hope you do more videos like this for me to actually say opinions about freely without sounding bad or rude- 😅

Tf I didn’t know people hated ajr. I think they are incredible. I love their music and it’s unique

Okay everyone we all know that is a really important video that needs to be made a lot more popular so people can see the true point of the band’s purpose is. A lot of the comments from this video makes really good points and reasons on why this band is more then just videos and lyrics it helps people who are going through really bad times in there or might be helping high and middle schoolers deal with stress or family problems and before they go and jug them off one song they should at least hear one or two from each album through “the click, neotheater, and the ok orchestra”

bro my fav bands/artist are AJR grandson and the offsprings and you have them in your play list damm i like your music taste

those haters should go and check them out live, might change their minds a bit seen them on a festival last week, didn't expect much but holy shit, I've never had such a good time at any other concert, and I've been to plenty the energy and enthusiasm they bring and keep up for the whole concert is insane and they were pretty funny when they were talking inbetween songs imagine dragons were at the same Festival and they were also insanely cool but somehow ajr managed to outshine even them for my friends and me, it was pure fun and energy and good vibes

I was listening to way less sad when I found this video😂😂

oh

I've been a fan of AJR since 2017, I heard their song "Drama" from somewhere, I really liked the beat and the lyrics and started listening to their songs since then, I never knew that people hated them though

Dude. You said everything! I thought you had like 100k! Your videos are so well edited, keep up the AMAZING work!!

I have a diverse sense of music and I love AJR. My sister and I found them since highschool. They make our brains go brrrrrrr... Like literally. My sister's not neurotypical and they fill that niche for her. We know that their music is not for everybody since not everybody likes instrument distortions like us. Which at that point then just don't listen to them. People need to understand that somethings aren't meant to suit everybody. Like how I enjoy symphonic metal while others don't. Our brains just work differently. Although honestly, over the years I just keep finding people making new reasons to hate them, like their mixing is bad, their lyrics are shallow, they're not risky enough to get political, they're getting political, you can't be completely happy or sad when listening to them because of the double meaning of their lyrics, the list is gonna go on as the years go by. Also, the thing is, people will always make relatable songs 'cause it's talking abt the human experience. People will do it again and again every new decade and that's not a bad thing.

i found AJR a few months before 100 bad days was released (cant really remember when because it was a while ago now) but i legit just found them from Deezer suggesting them to me from another band. i only actually found out that so many people hated AJR when the whole all my favourite songs thing went down. i know taste is subjective and i get that completely but having *so* much hatred for AJR will never make sense to me. sure i can see why people wouldn’t enjoy their music but the extent these people hate on this music is actually worrying like go back to listening to WAP ig idk i just cant see how someone could hate them *that* much.

Same here for EVERYTHING you said! AJR is such a wonderful group that I can relate to BECAUSE they sing about what we all can relate to. Even “Humpty Dumpty”; though I’ve never had nerves to the point of panic attacks: I have felt plenty of pressure in my life to go above and beyond what I considered mentally healthy for me. That’s what that song means to me. Loved your essay!

I personally rlly love them! Their mixed vocals are amazing and their artistic sense too:)

Thanks for pointing out such a controversial topic. It makes me feel a lot better about my tastes, and made me understand other people's point of view a lot better.

I love AJR a lot. This may be 1 year old but its amazing music. I believe its just the influence of rap and stuff like that from parents to kids over years. Overall the morals of their music is a message to everyone so they can feel the connection. Amazing video.

I can see it both ways. I'm the same age as the oldest brother, Adam. So a lot of the music still resonates with me. Any group that knows the importance of a good horn is OK in my book. I will say my husband and I had more fun watching the rest fans go mental at the NYS Fair last night than the concert itself. When the group drew out a bass drop in Bang! (I think) and the crowd collectively started singing the next line too soon, and then couldn't quite figure out when it was going to drop, I just about died. Maybe I could make a song out of it?

I highly doubt most people dislike AJR because they don’t like music about relatable things. People love songs that they can relate to and deep tracks about serious topics that are done really well get praised by critics and fans all the time. The reason people don’t like AJR is because they don’t enjoy the way their music sounds. They think it sounds bad. There’s nothing inherently wrong with liking AJR but there is also nothing special or weird or wrong about not like AJR. Their sound just isn’t for everybody. And that’s ok

Wow. This is so underrated. I live Ajr as well!

Hang on, people hate AJR? Bro i did not that, I love AJR! Their music is relatable and always seems to include the best possible chords and lyrics that are relatable and just straight up amazing.

If people dislike AJR for making songs about things that are so 'common' yet meaningful to the people that are going through it, should the rest of us start hating the mainstream songs that talk about nothing but love, sex and drugs? Also lets be real.... If we excluded lyrics and compared just the music.. AJR songs are INSANELY good.

Thank you for making this video, it puts things in perspective and makes a lot of sense!

They manage to write what may sound like "generic lyrics" to some but hit so incredibly deep if you can relate to them in a way I can't find in any other artist. They say such random and niche things sometimes but the meaning behind them goes so far.

the reason people make songs about things that have been made into songs before is because they feel that feeling, and want to make it into a song. why? because music is therapy. and if singing about pain helps u feel better and get it out. then does it really matter if someone has done it before you? and the more takes on a feeling turned into music. the more songs to put in the playlists about that feeling. but maybe someone already commented about this idk.

This video makes me wanna get up, grab my earbuds, and listen to AJR while remembering why I love them so much. They’re relatable and they have actual deep meaning in their songs that can help you remember to love and savor the happiness in the good parts of your life, and to remember that there’s always a good part waiting at the end of a bad one. :) i love the good part, it’s one of my favorite AJR songs

This video was really helpful. I totally understand and appreciate AJR

Hy, well, at first I would like to say that I'm from Brasil so I don't think that my English is very well, but I wanna try to write this comment. I discovered that people hate AJR because of the title of your video, so it's a surprise to me. Congratulations for the quality of your video, I liked too much, so keep doing this amazing job, because I will be here to watch!

bro about half an hour ago I found out the thirsty song and it sent me down a rabbit hole, so I learned research is always important when it comes to finding out what people hate and why

My first AJR song was I’m Ready like most others and I thought they were a one hit wonder. I come back 6 years later and I see so much more music and they quickly became my favorite band.

A coworker recently got me into AJR, and even more recently I stumbled into disdainful comments towards them but no reason or context. Definitely helps clear things up, wanted to make sure I wasn't stumbling onto an actually problematic group of people.

WOW THIS VIDEO EXPLODED ON YOUR CHANNEL Congratulations to you, also my favorite song from AJR is “sober up” because I kinda “lost” emotions in life so it’s relatable to me that way

Thanks for a great and insightful video! The guys in AJR are amazingly creative and musical. 👍✌️

First off, I'm not going to read the full description but thank you for making this video because i think AJR is great, thought the video was short and I did not find it very descriptive it does help me understand the hate. Thank you.

Everyone has to go through so many things yes, but in my opinion theres a certain level of comfort in knowing you arent alone in that. Even if you think you are. if everyone can relate to these kinds of songs then everyone can express the way that they feel much easier. If i know that theres a person in my life that can relate to these certain songs then its easier to know that theyll relate to me in a sense. I feel like i worded this poorly but i hope you understand what im getting at

How do you only have 83 subs? This is, despite what you may think, is a really good analysis

If you don't like AJR, then it wasn't made for you. That's ok. I LOVE THEM !

This video was very well done! Honestly, I had no idea that people hated AJR with such a passion, but that's always how things go, I guess. Also, don't mind me as I just head bob to all the songs in the background... The first song I listened to by AJR was "Sober Up", and from there, my sister and I totally became obsessed with this band. Well, she looked into them first, but you get the point. Honestly, this band got me through 2019 and 2020, as those years kind of sucked (I'm also an "edgy, quirky teenager", so take that how you will...). There's just something really appealing to me about how AJR songs sound, and I haven't really heard this kind of thing done by a lot of artists besides them. Also, the relatable factor is kind of nice. As you've already said, this is done with a lot of songs, though to me, it's done differently by AJR, though I can't exactly pinpoint why. Ooookkay, that's all. Don't know if any of that makes sense, but eh.

I didn't know about this before the video, but my immediate assumption was that people hated them because of how relatable their songs are. For a lot of people its comforting to know other people are going through the same stuff, but others might just view it as a painful, loud reminder of their problems that they don't want to deal with. For example, I've had friends tell me that they either used to have or have suicidal thoughts from time to time, and there is a part of me that wants to scream at them to shut up because I dont want to think about a life without them. These people might be screaming at AJR because they dont want to think about their parents divorce or how much they wish they were still young, which is sad for them, because AJR is fucking amazing.

I honestly didn't even know people hated them. Seriously, why would anyone hate AJR? Their music is actually meaningful, unlike most of the music that's widely popular nowadays.

I love AJR and I never really understood why so many ppl hated them. My older brother introduced me to them and listening to there songs really helped me get through the pandemic. Now that he’s in college I listen to AJR whenever I miss him.

Yoo i thought you were a RU-vidr with at least 1k. you should have more subs. Great video!

Speaking as someone who reviewed and bashed the click in a review that I’m not too proud of, my problems with AJR (at least with the click and Neotheater) were mostly boiled to their lyric writing that felt childish, oblivious, or outright dumb, and not in a fun way, whether it’s birthday party, beats, break my face, no grass today, or especially I’m not famous. I will concede that their lyrics can at least be relatable, and there are some good topics, but sometimes they don’t know how to approach them, like being proud of their weaknesses on weak or using wealthy people never donating without the press as an example of being helpless without attention in three thirty. Not to mention some of their production choices either rubbed me the wrong way or irritates me, whether it’s the shrieking horns of Three Thirty, the garbled voices on birthday party, the glitchy noises that kinda distract from the galloping percussion and strings on karma, or the spokestep on No Grass Today. Add Jack met’s vocal performance ranging from Bored to Shrill and ear grating, and it’s kind of hard to really get into this. I’ve also commented on their similarities to Jon Bellion and twenty one pilots in my review, but after watching Norbert’s defense of the click, this ended up being the least of my problems. That having been said, I don’t fully hate these guys. There are some songs from these guys I kinda enjoy like Pitchfork Kids, Weak, Sober Up, Burn The House Down, 100 Bad Days, and even Turning Out pt 2. Hell, I’m going against the norm saying I actually like OK Orchestra. Is it perfect? No, it still has some decisions that I don’t agree with (like the chorus in Humpty Dumpty, the sandpaper sounding big band sample in ordinaryish people, or all of Joe), but I felt like it was an improvement over their previous 2 records. I liked some of the more organic sounding elements in the production, especially the morphing instrument, the lyric writing is a bit better, and the compositions are some of the best from this band. Christmas in June, way less sad, adventure is out there, worlds smallest violin, and yes, 3 o’clock things, all of them I listen to unironically. Do I think they’re the worst band in the world? No. Do they deserve some of the hate they’ve gotten?....sort of, but not to the extent of their detractors, or even me in my review. Yes, they have some problems, but I at least understand the appeal of them now and have softened up a bit to some of their music. Then again, I’m a guy who unironically listens to some nickelback songs so what do I know?

I'm late to this video by a couple of years, lol. But I started my own business and the song Come Hang Out has been really relatable. Because when you take the initiative to do what you want to do, you miss a lot of things. But in the end you realize that you didn't miss anything because they weren't supposed to be there with you in the end. And in the beginning you're always saying 'next time'. I don't normally watch videos about this kind of stuff. My RU-vid is pretty much music, Bob Proctor, and maybe a random video or two. Occasionally my own videos get recommended to me. But I loved this.

Love AJR! Got my concert tickets for next year already! Also, I hadn’t heard about the AJR hate before! Pretty weird.

I love AJR so much. It breaks my heart that people would ever hate them.

I'm not a super fan of AJR but I definetly enjoy and really appreciate their music. I don't listen to a ton of music and only barely listen to current pop music (except from the few artist I follow on Spotify, AJR being on of them) so for me AJR sound very distinct and nothing like other artist. In my experience (except from really different artists like The Amazing Devil) they also sing about really specific and different topics than the general pop artist. The pop songs than I know of, or remember from like 10 years ago (when I listened more to the radio) are all about these big concepts like love, sex, sadness or death. AJR have really specific topics, like the uncertainty of growing up and moving out for the first time; the naivety of being a child; questioning why bad stuff happens to you eventhough you're trying so hard to be a good person etc. Sure everyone goes through this but at least for me some of their lyrics just really hit home. Which is a thing that doesn't happen that often. Also on an rather unrelated note. I just heard something about how people hear songs differently. Some people basically only hear the melody of the words while other people can't unhear the words of the songs. Imo the lyrics are what really separates AJR from others so maybe people that only hear the melody don't like them as much.

In my opinion is a great band. Because their songs speak to me practically for example the song come hang out. Reminded me to not feel disconnected when a friend is moving away. And that you're not moving towards them and you just feel like you're spreading apart from them.

i also feel like one of the reasons people hate them is because "world's smallest violin" is used WAY too much in those cringy minecraft different age youtube shorts things and just overused on youtube shorts and tiktok in general

Me, who has never listened to a song to feel some kind of connection or meaning behind it. “Yea it sounds cool so I’ll listen to it”

Neotheater is actually the album with each song having a little bit of a different song inside of it (not the click) just letting you know lol

As someone who really, truly doesn't get along well with AJR's music, I feel like I might be able to shed some light. Before I say anything, they always look like they enjoy making music and don't take themselves too seriously which is of course a good thing. Firstly, I've always had issues with the songwriting. A lot of the time they seem to drop hollow, meaningless sentences into their lyrics because they happen to rhyme and/or because they at least sound like they mean something. See Sober Up and the lyric 'my favourite colour is you' (what?) or Bang! and the lyric "I get up I get down, And I'm jumpin' around" (he just got down, how's he jumping around?) Anyhow, I don't wanna take everything literally because I suppose the point is to read between the lines, but so much of their songwriting I find completely void. The storyline behind I'm Ready is both mind-numbingly simple yet wholly confused (he continually references forgetting her name whilst also saying she's blowing his mind - which one is it fella?) I get this comes across as cute and fun, but I find that it's just insultingly sloppy writing. Numero dos. Their repeated use of dubstep as a backdrop grates on me. It sounds like they found a tool that could give their music a deep bass and the opportunity to have big drops here and there and decided that was good enough to use whenever they want to compensate for the lack of genuine depth to their music. I'm from the UK where the dubstep scene circa. early 00s was blossoming in London: that music was born out of blending (and this is a real simplification) two step, reggae, and garage to create a new sound that can be as minimal or as maximal as the producer likes. In crossing cultures and genres, the dubstep pioneers provided clubs with heavier, bassier musical tones and added a new wing to the UK's electronic musical output. The use of sampling from old motown tunes, old reggae tunes, and in the case of Burial, anything under the sun, was a huge feature that gave producers remarkable freedom to investigate tracks from across all genres; AJR deciding to use Spongebob as a sample, to me, indicates their departure and sullying of the roots of dubstep. Their use of the genre could not be further from the reasons why I personally enjoy it - it sounds gimmicky and careless and has never once hit me in the chest the way Skream, LV., Burial, DMZ have in the past. As I say though, that's simply my own experience. Three (and I will shut up soon). 3 O'clock Things. The horns on this track sound inexplicably muffled and a couple notes lower than where I think they ought to be. They had a nice riff with the brass section and decided to tone it down for some reason! Why?! The melody on the vocals is, to my ears, just so nothing-y and the delivery on the lines "But I'll never ask you, no that's super scary" is achingly monotone. This track has some nice messages and the racism line at the end "It's all a bit cloudy but there's one thing I know, That if you're fucking racist then don't come to my show" was pretty solid. That being said, it's the first time racism was mentioned: before that we had the lead singer talking about how maybe he should have gone to college, how he's not having sex while everyone is hooking up, how he keeps on talking about politics and annoying his friends, then all of a sudden he's trying to claim that this song is talking about grander issues outside of his insecurities? Maybe it is somewhat, but come on now. That route would be fine if there was a little more sincerity behind the message: personally, it seems like that racism line was an easy way to brand this tune as one flying the flag of social justice while giving the cause one line and using the rest of the tune to talk about himself and his own issues. Then again, maybe it was just a sidenote that the band felt was worth dropping: if that's the case then fair enough lads. I should also say that I enjoyed the lines "Stay out of politics, stay on the fence, Stay out of all of it to keep half your fans". Anyway, huge respect for making this video on a band you like and who you believe deserve more credit. It seems like they have a lot of fans and though I'm not one of them, three guys enjoying their music who have a unique sound is something I find hard to argue against. Then again, I did want to give more context as to why some people like myself find AJR so particularly difficult to listen to. Great editing as well, bro.

The thing I don't understand how people haven't realized this. Music has been around for centuries. There is almost no way you can write a song about a topic that no one has ever written about. People say that the things they write have been written before. Of course it has. I'm sure everyone has come up with a though or idea that is "super original". Then they realize that at least a thousand people have thought it before. Another irritating thing is how people say that AJR's music is bad simply because it is a genre they don't like. I don't prefer to listen to metal or most rap. But I know that the people who made the songs are talented.

I actually like their song which are unique and with orchestra instruments and vocals. The only thing is some of their songs are sad like about getting older and also nostalgia

Thanks for standing up for AJR . I agree totally with your take on the feelings of others who don't appreciate their music. I like you do , Love this group ❤

Thank you for this. I stumbled across a video of a certain individual completely trash talking AJR. The entire comments section was calling his fans edgy teens and saying they are writing about white privilege and I felt that I was wrong for listening to them even though I like their music. As a composer when I discovered them recently I found they include a lot of the same elements as me. Things such as: Trumpets, meaningful lyrics, different genres. etc. And if it were not for this video I think I would’ve left that guy’s video thinking I’m invalid for my artistic expressions. I doubt you’ll read this but if you do thanks :)

My roommate and I (both women in out fifties) LOVE this band. We first heard Bang driving from Albuquerque to Santa Fe and thought it was a fun, kick-ass song with a sick hook and once we found the video on RU-vid, we were obsessed. We found Way Less Sad, with Jack's silly no-rhythm , white-boy dancing and the T-shirt that just says "The Band Name" rather than an actual band name and we laughed our asses off. We didn't realize how universal and deep their lyrics were until I was likening the concept of being 'way less sad' to how I was slowing coping with a recent break-up and she told me that she interpreted the lyrics as assuring concerned relatives when you're someone with a history of depression and mental illness, which she is. Listening to many of their songs with fresh ears, we've come to respect their lyrics as being deceptively deep now - we do, though, still think they're all adorable, little nerds, especially Ryan. Much love to AJR and their young fans.

I adore AJR, they make the unheard and unseen feel like they have music for themselves. Some people don’t want others to feel like even though they are different it’s okay, they want everyone to be the same.

shocked to see you only have 123 subscribers… amazing production value on your vids!! i’ll make it 124 😙

Knowing they write and produce all their music gives me SO MUCH respect for them. Ryan must be really talented if he can produce that whole thing 😭

I’ve been listening to instrumental music before I discovered this band

*Yo I got so excited when I saw that you listened to DOAO-*

People don't hate AJR because they make "relatable music", tons of great artists do. They hate them because they think their music sucks.

So the problem I have is that the songs are so vague, so it could be really anybody, and I think they do that to appeal to anyone who can relate to that, which is everyone. I think this is immoral an ingenuine.

it can still be overproduced in your living room. everyone produces songs on COMPUTERS now

The first time i heard about AJR was just about 4 months ago. It was Burn the Whole House Down. The video was really great but i was on the fence about their music. Usually not in my fave genres but i kept checking them out and somehow they just kept sounding better every time i listened to them. IDC call me a dork. I like AJR❤

“Where my haters I don’t got em’ I’m not famous” yeah escalated reeeeal well.

IKR like they are great people! The end of 3 o'clock things was amazing

We have the same craziness playlist. My playlist goes from Two Door Cinema Club to AJR to MGMT to MF DOOM easily in one playlist

Off topic but nice to see a fox Stevenson song is in ya playlist lol