Joji picks up the pieces of a broken heart with new album ‘Smithereens’
George Kusunoki Miller’s rebranding from the unrefined, uncouth YouTube sensation known as ‘Filthy Frank’ into chart-topping artist Joji has been nothing short of a great success.
On his 2018 debut, Ballads 1, the Japanese-Australian singer’s moody falsettos blended together in a bundle of chilled-out piano and sleepy lullabies. With his follow-up, Nectar (2020), Miller flaunted improved vocals and managed to bolster his sonic range with a bright palette of synth-pop and alternative rock. This second effort cemented Joji’s place within the ‘sadboy’ zeitgeist; a pseudo-sub-genre which has become increasingly popular, following the successes of other brooding auteurs with the likes of Drake, The Weeknd and Kid Cudi blazing a trail for those following closely behind.
Now, over two years later, Joji presents Smithereens. A nine-track, EP-length album which strikes a perfect balance between uplifting pop sounds and gloomy, heartbroken ballads. Smithereens is divided into two sides and tells a story of contrast and sundered relationships. Track one, ‘Glimpse of Us’ was released prior as the lead single to the project. Here, Joji compares his current relationship to the connection he felt with a past lover, unable to forget the feelings he had in his past while with his current partner: “Said I’m fine and said I moved on / I’m only here passing time in her arms / Hopin’ I’ll find a glimpse of us”. Completely stripped back with only a piano to accompany Joji’s solemn vocals, it is by far the crown jewel of the record.
Track 2, ‘Feeling Like the End’ sees Joji become fearful that his relationship with his current lover is coming to an end soon, hence the pre-emptive title. “Too many, too many things we did together / You used to promise me it would be forever / Feeling like the end, don’t think it will get better”. Next, ‘Die For You’ is a near-perfect spiritual successor to ‘R.I.P.’ from Ballads 1, which featured a chorus that has the line “I would die for you” being repeated several times. This later tune explores similar themes of his devotion to his ex-lover, telling the listener of his hopes that his lover is getting everything that he couldn’t provide for them.
Before the switch to the second side of Smithereens, we are hit with ‘Before The Day Is Over’, and ‘Dissolve’. The first sees the singer more paranoid than ever before, aware that he is becoming a burden to his lover and keeping his distance – which parallels greatly with the latter, showing Joji reflecting on how their relationship has evolved: “Who are we? / Who have we become? / Are we counting sheep until we dissolve?”.
Finally, we come to the home stretch of the album: the second half, which can be seen as a slight turnaround for Joji. Though marginally happier in tone, the lyrical content is just as devastating to the listener. ‘YUKON (INTERLUDE)’ clashes hi-hats and hyperpop with Joji’s broken-hearted ballads, creating a two-minute miniature masterpiece and standing as the penultimate track. The closer, ‘1AM FREESTYLE’ perfectly illustrates the duality seen across the double album. He tries, but fails, to reassure himself that his lover can’t be without him. The second chorus sees Joji tell himself “You know you can make it / But you can’t make it alone” before conceding in the final few words of the song that he is “tired of being stranded / I don’t wanna be alone”.
Although Smithereens doesn’t necessarily expand Joji’s sound beyond what we heard on Nectar and Ballads 1, it is nevertheless a profound product that summarises Joji’s career within a concise 25-minute runtime. Not only that, but it avoids the pitfall that many albums nowadays seem to inevitably fall victim to – filler. No one song stands out as out of place or unnecessary, and the two sides of the album complement each other perfectly. I look forward to where Joji goes with his next musical chapter.
