* En anglais uniquement
Japanese musician
Joji laces R&B and hip-hop with textured electronics on his atmospheric meditations for the digital age. As part of the
88Rising crew, he experienced a creative rebirth that rebranded him as a serious artist after years as a popular Internet personality. After issuing his first EP, 2017's lo-fi
In Tongues, he hit a chart peak reaching the Top Ten of the Billboard 200 with his gold-certified full-length
Ballads 1, home to the hit single "Slow Dancing in the Dark." Riding the high of that set's international success, he again reached the Top Ten with his 2020 sophomore effort,
Nectar.
Born George Miller in Osaka, he built a massive online following in the early 2010s with his comedy skits (including the viral phenomenon for "Harlem Shake") before changing lanes to fully focus on music, crafting downtempo, moody reflections under the
Joji moniker. Joining the
88Rising collective, he released 2017's
In Tongues, a six-song EP of introspective musings and piano-based electronic explorations. Following the collaborative single "18" with
Kris Wu and
Rich Brian,
Joji issued a deluxe version of
In Tongues in early 2018 that expanded the original EP with ten more tracks, including remixes by
Lapalux,
Ryan Hemsworth, and
Actress. That same year, he kicked off a fresh cycle with the single "Yeah Right," from his official full-length debut,
Ballads 1. Released that October, the LP rose to number three on the Billboard 200 and topped the R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. Second single "Slow Dancing in the Dark" was also a chart hit, earning platinum status in Australia and the U.S.
Joji swiftly began work on his next album, releasing the gold-certified single "Sanctuary" in June 2019. Subsequent international chart hits "Run" and "Gimme Love" continued the promotion for his sophomore full-length,
Nectar, in 2020. In addition to appearances by
Omar Apollo,
Lil Yachty,
Yves Tumor, and
Benee,
Nectar also featured production by
Diplo on "Daylight." It reached number three on the Billboard 200. The non-album track "Glimpse of Us" arrived in June 2022. ~ Neil Z. Yeung