Joji evolves on “Nectar” in an unprecedented way
By Neeka Boroumandi
Since the very beginning of his musical career, George Kusunoki Miller, better known by his stage name Joji, has made a point to constantly evolve his eccentric sounds. The release of his second studio project “Nectar” shows an unprecedented side to his artistry. “Nectar” has a plethora of contrasting sounds from a cinematic string section filled with vulnerable vocals to a groovy base filled with plucked strings, making this a versatile album.
With his two leading singles, “Gimme Love” and “Run” Joji showed this album is one with an even higher production value than before. “Gimme Love” is an upbeat head-bopping single with repetitive lyricism about pleading for affection. The catchiness of this tune is infectious, making it his most popular song to date. “Run” on the other hand is more cinematic, a falsetto filled tune backed up by electric guitar to get one deeper in their emotions. This song is reminiscent of a past relationship and watching the love fade. Joji is trying to quite literally “run” away from his feelings for his lover. The melancholy tone makes listeners contemplate on the universal nostalgia of past relationships, and ponders how someone can stop loving you.
The album starts off intense yet calming with songs like “Ew,” “MODUS”, and “Tick Tock.” Joji begins with somber lyricism in “Ew” when he sings “I can’t believe that I'm not enough” in his higher register. The song title encapsulates Joji’s emotions when it comes to defining what love feels to him. His relationship with the music industry can be seen in similar regards with the track “Modus”. This tune is definitely my personal favorite of the album. It starts off with a somber piano which reflects his older music style. The tune then gets more intense as Joji begins singing and rapping over a piano beat. This song gives us a window into how the music industry seems to treat artists by always demanding which showcases in lyrics of “when they say they're satisfied they're lying.” They seem to want to program artists to behave a certain way but Joji sees right through it all.
There begins to be a shift towards more lighthearted, happy tunes with “Daylight”, “Upgrade” and of course “Gimme Love.” The commercialized value from these songs doesn't take away from the quality. In “Daylight”, Joji collaborates with Diplo on a summer anthem that no one was expecting. The feel-good melody marks a new tone from him..
“Sanctuary” bounces right back to the Joji that we all know with its melo, echoing vibe. His vocals have clearly improved and this track shows off that growth. It gives off a traveling-through-space feel with its airy vocals and reminiscing lyricism. Moving back and forth from a raspier to a more airy voice glues together the piece very nicely and adds another dimension to the track. Joji seems to have found safety in the person he is singing about; he’s found love..
As the album progresses, we soon get into more features such as “High Hopes” featuring Omar Apollo and “Pretty Boy” featuring Lil Yachyt. The track with Omar feels like you are floating down a river with its plucky strings and airy vocals. Omar’s voice compliments Joji’s rapping/singing pretty well: a contrast that meshes perfectly.
Other featured songs include “Normal People” featuring Rei Brown, “Afterthought” featuring BENEE and lastly “Reanimator” featuring Yves Tumor. “Normal People” is a stand out track in the sense that we really get to see Joji’s vulnerability by pretending everything is alright in his current relationship. There is a fear of accepting something is off about the relationship. With his soft spoken voice, there is an element of holding back and being more selective when it comes to revealing the truth in this relationship.
There comes a stalling point in the album with songs like “Mr.Hollywood” “Reanimator” and “Like You Do.” These tracks don’t match the intensity and emotion of the rest of the album. Joji focuses on the music industry and fame again in this song, musing about how it has impacted his relationship on “Mr. Hollywood”. This continues the theme of how his relationships are impacted by different instances whether that be insecurities or fame.
An unexpected song was “777” which adds a techno and retro element to the album that is much needed. It goes in depth about a no strings attached relationship where Joji feels unfulfilled and eventually walks away. The intensity of the song goes hand in hand with the anxiety of not knowing where the relationship is headed.
By concluding the album with, “Your Man” Joji sets a hopeful tone of wanting to find love. With a warm synth in the background, Joji asks “Have you ever loved? Would you go again?” and answering it with “I’ll be your man”. It was designed to feel like a conclusion and it is the perfect way to finish the album. It feels like the finishing credits are being displayed at the very end of a movie.
Overall, this album shows a maturity from Joji that many have been waiting to see since the release of his first official studio album. We can see a huge shift in the way Joji presents himself and his music in a brutally honest way. He has solidified a spot in the music industry and his legacy is only just beginning. Without a doubt, Joji will continue to evolve and set the bar higher with each coming release.