I don’t think there has been a more stark career change than Joji’s. From the days of playing oddball characters like Filthy Frank to making tear-jerking music, he’s done a complete 180.
His YouTube career began in 2011, posting videos across channels like TVFilthyFrank, TooDamnFilthy, and DizastaMusic. His videos would consist of a plethora of unique skits, rants, extreme challenges, and a slew of musical performances. Joji’s videos helped popularize the Harlem Shake, the flash mob-style video which took over social media in 2013.
He retired in 2017, swiftly transitioning to a serious career in the music industry. His debut album, Ballads 1, was released in 2018. Since then, his music has been featured across popular social media platforms, often used for sad videos on TikTok.
THE DISCOGRAPHY
Joji has an overall slow, hard-hitting discography. His music puts you in a trance, seemingly extracting every bit of emotion from you. It’s deep-cutting music that is perfect for late-night vibes where you need to think things out or just accept that you’re going through a bit of a rough patch.
CRY YOURSELF TO SLEEP
Glimpse of Us and Slow Dancing in the Dark are both tracks that blew up over Tiktok. Glimpse of Us is a song with a gradual build-up, going from a simply sad song to one that will make you feel overcome with emotion. It hits you right in the feels, subsequently forcing you to sit down and enjoy the vibes. Slow Dancing in the Dark has the same effects, although the climax is much more explosive.
The rest of this ensemble consists of songs with heavy piano and sad, sad lyrics. Die For You and Ew are both your classic, let’s sit and have a good cry-type tracks. They consist of Joji’s angelic voice belting over slow beats with a ton of symphonious sounds.
IMMACULATE VIBES
The other half of his discography includes music that can only be described as “vibey.” Daylight with Diplo explores a summer tune with classic melodies from Joji and head-bobbing beats from Diplo. Feeling Like The End garners the same attention. The guitar and piano add less of a sad, RnB feel to Joji’s natural tone. The pair are terrific tracks for late-night shenanigans. Run has a similar effect to Feeling Like The End in the sense that it’s an uplifting summer banger.
CAN’T GET OVER YOU fills a void in the head bob department. It’s a super uplifting track that has a killer beat and lyrics to match. Similarly, NIGHT RIDER is a bop with more of a trap undertone. The beat will fill your room as you get into the mode of daydreaming.
FASHION CHOICES
Joji’s fashion is a true dichotomy in comparison to his music. Some of his fits are athleisure and street-influenced, while others are a bit more on the classy menswear side, mainly featuring eccentric color schemes.
He seems to have an admiration for baggy hoodies paired with cargo and other streetwear-influenced garms. As well, his Japanese heritage is seen in a lot of his tops. Vertically striped dress shirts, multi-pocket zip-ups, and draping t-shirts are staples in his wardrobe.
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