Joji’s toll on a new sound

Ryan Kung, Staff Writer|December 15, 2022

Consisting of two discs, Japanese-American pop artist George Miller, better known as Joji, released an uncoordinated third studio album titled “SMITHEREENS” on Nov. 4. 

Initially signed to 88rising Records, an Asian pop music powerhouse, Joji began his mainstream career by releasing “Ballads I” and “Nectar,” both gathering positive reviews despite creative restrictions. Joji left 88rising and joined Warner Records to seek more musical freedom, releasing “SMITHEREENS” half a year later.

The album rollout began with the release of the highly regarded single “Glimpse of Us.” This single showed evolution in Joji’s authenticity, topping the charts and exposing him to a new worldwide audience. Shortly after “Glimpse of Us,” Joji confirmed “SMITHEREENS” by announcing a two-month-long USA tour, exponentially increasing the anticipation for the album.

“SMITHEREENS” is split into two sides, one consisting of a melancholic Joji and the other consisting of more lo-fi beats and a hip-hop vocal style. Contrary to Joji’s previous albums, this one only spans 25 minutes, a disappointingly short listen.

The album opens with “Glimpse of Us,” setting the tone for the first disc. “Feeling Like The End” is a sorrowful track about broken promises, a recurring theme in the album’s first half. One strong point of “SMITHEREENS” comes with the next track, “Die For You.” Reminiscent of the first track,” Die For You” is both sad and melodic, demonstrating Joji’s musical style all while sounding unique. 

Closing off the first disc is “Dissolve,” consisting of vocal autotune similar to Kanye West’s “808s & Heartbreaks,” something new compared to Joji’s previous works. With a guitar background, this song comes unexpectedly from the first four tracks, which feature Joji’s use of the piano instrumental. Although interesting, there is no cohesiveness or a construct of an album, coming off as more so an EP or mixtape. 

Moving onto the second disc, Joji opens with “NIGHT RIDER,” which sounds exactly like the title implies. This depressing lo-fi rap track is followed by “BLAHBLAHBLAH DEMO” and previously released “YUKON (INTERLUDE),” both featuring a fast-paced Joji sound. Initially released as a single, “YUKON” offered a preview to the album, completely contrasting from the previously released “Glimpse of Us.” 

The final track of the second disc is “1AM FREESTYLE.” This closer feels like a clash between the beat and vocals, only becoming cohesive in the final thirty seconds. The track is not particularly unique, and as a listener, it left me longing for more.

The second disc of “SMITHEREENS” is easily forgettable, but is a unique branch in Joji’s career. In a 25-minute album, there shouldn’t be two discs, especially without a proper theme. “SMITHEREENS” feels like a dump of tracks that sound great but don’t go together.