Seventeen years ago, three brothers, Adam, Jack, and Ryan Met, formed a band called ARJ. Over the years, this band has become increasingly popular by creating indie-pop music. Their most famous songs include “Weak”, “Sober Up”, “100 Bad Days”, and “Bang!” Despite these big hits, many people dislike the band. Simply searching “do people like AJR” on Google will show you that this band has received a huge amount of hate for what some people call “painfully commercial, boring, and uninspired” music.  

Personally, I’m a fan of many of their songs, although I can understand why some people are in disagreement. My favorite songs include “World’s Smallest Violin”, “Netflix Trip”, and “Bummerland”.  Based on these titles, you can probably see why some people dislike AJR’s music; critics believe that many of the songs are childish and too focused on growing up. For example, one of their songs is called “Don’t Throw Out My Legos.” Many critics simply view the song as immature, but I disagree. The three brothers attended Columbia University, an Ivy League school, so I find it unlikely that they’d write a meaningless song about Legos. Instead, this song is a reference to the transition into adulthood; therefore, the song has much deeper meaning than what it may seem on the surface. 

Along with indie-pop, AJR’s genre has also been described as electropop, so if you enjoy this type of music then I recommend giving the band a listen. AJR is not my favorite band or even one of my top three, but I have phases where I listen to their songs on repeat. With that being said, I strongly recommend checking out their music.

Photo Credits: Marquette Wire