Joji Album Review

Image Credit: George Kusunoki Miller (Joji)

By: Taran Nulu

Do the few standout songs in Joji’s latest album make up the album’s lack of cohesion?

Joji, or George Kusunoki Miller, is a 33 year old Japanese singer and songwriter, who recently released his 4th album on February 11th. Originally known as YouTuber Filthy Frank, Joji transitioned to the music world in the late 2010s. Some of his biggest hits include ballads like “SLOW DANCING IN THE DARK” and “Glimpse of Us.” His songs are a blend of alternative R&B and lofi, with slow and somewhat quiet and sad melodies. 

The album begins with a startling contrast  to the slower melodies he is known for, with trap-inspired “PIXELATED KISSES” serving as the opener This and “Sojourn” stand out compared to the rest of the album due to their aggressive instrumentals, feeling more like hip-hop or rap than lofi. Both songs, as well as several others, feature distorted instrumentals. While this initially adds a lot of personality to the music, it is overdone and takes away from the overall quality. Some songs like the piano ballad “Past Won’t Leave My Bed” are untouched by the distortion effect, allowing for the lyrics and melody to shine. These songs, which more closely follow the slower style Joji is known for, are the highlight of the album. 

The album, Piss In The Wind, consists of 21 different songs, only 1 of which goes over the 3 minute mark in length. The extreme brevity of some of the songs make it feel more like a compilation of demos rather than an album, with several songs being under the 2 minute mark. Songs like “Fade to Black” , featuring R&B singer 4batz, do not feel like songs at all, offering little to no instrumental or vocal progression. Better and longer songs like “Piece of You” and “Fragments” seem to highlight the featured artists, being GIVĒON and Don Toliver respectively, rather than showcasing the vocals of Joji. Lyrically, a majority of the songs do not offer much complexity, but this is often made up with catchy melodies. Good examples of this are “Hotel California” and “Tarmac”, which are only saved by their melodies. Other songs like “Forehead Touch the Ground” and “Horses to Water,” while decent as standalone songs, seem directionless and out of place. The album does not seem very cohesive as a whole, with an captivating introduction in “PIXELATED KISSES” and an anticlimactic conclusion in “Dior.” With his last album, SMITHEREENS, releasing 4 years ago, the lack of depth in a majority of the songs is a little disappointing.

The album has several flaws, with several of the songs seeming to be incomplete or derivative of each other. Despite this, the couple of standout ballads, unique songs, and features make it a somewhat entertaining listen, especially for listeners who are already fans of Joji. Newer fans would have a better time listening to his older albums, like BALLADS 1 or Nectar, which better showcase his unique style of music.