As of Sept. 1, Joji has officially begun his SMITHEREENS Tour across North America to promote the soon-approaching release of his third studio album.

29-year-old Japanese singer-songwriter, George Kusonki Miller has had a long career within the media industry, taking on a variety of personas. He is known professionally and popularly as Joji, however he was previously known as Filthy Frank and Pink Guy.

Filthy Frank and Pink Guy were both characters on Miller’s infamous web series he created — “The Filthy Frank Show”. This show ran from 2011 to 2017 on YouTube, gaining traction for its “out-of-pocket” content as the satire was built to parody society. 

The show had a larger impact on internet culture than Miller ever imagined, being responsible for several internet memes including the Harlem Shake. However, with much distress to the internet, Miller announced that he would be discontinuing the show in late-2017 due to health issues and a lack of interest. 

Whilst simultaneously moving away from comedy and attempting to grow as a serious musician, Miller released his first EP “In Tongues” under the moniker Joji in November of 2017, after several singles had been released that same year. 

The writing and release of the EP aided Miller in moving away from the show and establishing a serious music career. The comedy of the show and its reputation could have been detrimental to the future success of Miller, however the multiple personas and the transition saved him and his career. 

Following the success of “In Tongues” and the discontinuation of the show, Joji released his first album “BALLADS 1” in late 2018 featuring his most well known song, “SLOW DANCING IN THE DARK”.

After much success from his first studio album, Joji began releasing singles in late 2019 and early 2020, including “Sanctuary”, “Run”, and most renowned:“Gimme Love”; all of the singles being in anticipation of Joji’s second studio album “Nectar”.

“Nectar” was officially released Sept. 25, 2020 after many delays due to COVID-19. The 18-track album quickly grew to be a fan favorite, with featured artists Diplo, Omar Apollo, Lil Yatchy, rei brown, BENEE, and Yves Tumor. 

Joji’s music can be best categorized as lo-fi R&B, containing elements of electronic beats that craft the melancholic tone. The soulful vocals of Joji is what separates him from the rest of the music industry, especially after his media presence in years prior. 

“BALLADS 1” and “Nectar” are extremely different from one another, showcasing new sides of the evidently complex Miller. 

“BALLADS 1” consists of dark love songs with transcending beats and intense vocals. Even the album cover depicts the chaos and raw emotion this album contains. Alternatively, “Nectar” takes on a more serious and aggressive tone, depicted throughout the writing, beats, and cover. 

With this contrast, expectations for Miller’s third studio album are unknown. Anticipation is running high though after the single “Glimpse of Us” was released Jun. 9th this year, taking the media by storm. 

The single came as a surprise to fans as it was announced via Miller’s instagram (@sushitrash) on Jun. 6th, after being inactive on all socials since late-2020. 

Following the release of his newest single, Miller announced to his instagram the SMITHEREENS Tour, which would be taking place all over North America in September and October. On the road, Joji will be accompanied with openers DHRUV, rei brown, and SavageRealm. 

Much confusion surrounded the initial announcement of the tour title until the release of “YUKON (interlude)”, on Aug. 26th, the same day it was announced. The music video accompanying the song was a masterpiece, featuring Miller on a bed at the beach. 

The video is full of quick cuts, bright colors and trippy effects ⎯ like the driving man-bunny or melting disco ball. The video evidently has a deeper meaning, playing into Miller’s creative side as he attempts to visually recreate the chaos of his music and career. 

Immediately after the release of “YUKON (interlude)”, Joji made the official announcement of his third studio album, “SMITHEREENS”. The 9-track album is set to release Nov. 4th under 88rising and Warner.

Based on “Glimpse of Us”, it appears that Joji will be continuing his trend of love songs. With the single, he took a new direction with his production adopting more soft and genuine tones in comparison to the hard beats present in his previous works. It will be interesting to see if the entire album will reflect the emotions and tone “Glimpse of Us” portrays, or if Joji will revert to his foregoing trends.

One thing Miller can be defined as is an artist. Even throughout his comedy career, there was a certain aurora surrounding his work, everything always possessing a deeper meaning. Joji’s serene vocals are often accompanied by surreal visuals that add a whole new layer to his work. 

On tour, Miller definitely accomplishes displaying his complexity as an artist. One minute he is singing the emotional ballads, accompanied by hallucinogenic visuals behind him. Next, he is bringing a cannon out on stage and doordashing a Filet-o-Fish from McDonald’s ⎯ reflecting the once renowned humor of his web series. The chaos is definitely there. 

Evidently, Miller is entering into a new era of his career and it will be exciting to watch how he continues to evolve in the media industry. The next few months will be full of content from Miller, hopefully for fans of Joji and fans of Filthy Frank alike.