My Recent Artistic Experience
I went to a concert with my friends last Friday to see Joji perform live. Even though Joji is one of my most listened-to artists, I didn’t know much about his background, how he started music, and how he got to where he is today.
Joji is the stage name of George Kusunoki Miller, a Japanese-Australian musician, singer, and songwriter. He first gained recognition as a YouTube personality and comedian under the online pseudonym “Filthy Frank.” However, in recent years, he transitioned his career to focus on music.
Joji’s music is characterized by its emotional and introspective lyrics, often featuring a blend of R&B, hip-hop, and alternative elements. Some of his popular songs and albums include “Slow Dancing in the Dark,” “BALLADS 1,” and “Nectar.” His most famous songs include “Glimpse of Us,” “Sanctuary,” and “Afterthought.” He has achieved significant success in the music industry and has a dedicated fan following. Joji’s transition from internet comedy to a serious music career has been met with critical acclaim, and he’s considered one of the prominent artists in the alternative and experimental music scene.
His concert was held at Barclays Center, and the seats were mostly filled up. Watching him on a stage was drastically different from streaming his music on a phone device while I was going about my day. I associate his music with different memories because when these songs came out I was at a different stage of my life. His songs are easy to relate to, or at least I find them relatable. Each of his songs has different meanings to me and is linked with a specific feeling that I can’t put into words. All I know is that they make me reminisce about my past.
He brought so much energy to his performance, even though he’s known for slow beats and sentimental lyrics. He’d cheer up the audience by jumping and yelling, which helped the audience to engage. At the end of the concert, he sang his most famous song, “Glimpse of Us”, and the whole stadium sang with him. The song is about breakup and having a hard time moving on. He writes it in the lyrics:
“Cause sometimes I look in her eyes
And that’s where I find a glimpse of us
And I try to fall for her touch
But I’m thinking of the way it was
Said I’m fine and said I moved on
I’m only here passing time in her arms
Hoping I’ll find
A glimpse of us”
I believe one of the reasons why this song got so popular is its relatability. This song is for young people or older adults perhaps have all experienced heartbreaks at some point in their lives and perhaps some have also jumped into the next relationship before having completely moved on. Joji is brilliant. He’s able to connect his target audience’s thoughts and experiences with words and rhythms and put them into music. And to me, the way he articulates an experience into a song that many find relatable is successful design thinking.
