YouTuber and musician George Miller released his debut album “Ballads 1” under his Joji persona on Oct. 26. The album proves Miller as one of the most interesting figures in the underground hip-hop and R&B scene and shows that he has more to say than many give him credit for. Photo fair use of 88Rising
George Miller delivered his debut album “Ballads 1” under his latest persona Joji. The album was released on Oct. 26 and is filled with songs that push the boundaries of Joji’s lo-fi bedroom sound.
It’s rare that someone can be talented enough in one medium to gain popularity in notoriety and than transfer into another medium and receive the same success. It’s especially hard when that person in question is a YouTuber, who left his successful career behind to pursue music full-time. Many people are unable to do it and most of those people have the last name Paul.
Despite the odds stacked against him, that is exactly what George Miller did with his debut album “Ballads 1”, released on Oct. 26. Miller was previously the mind behind the infamous YouTube channel Filthy Frank, but now spends his time releasing music under his Joji persona. Following a series of singles and eps, Joji has delivered a project that, despite its flaws, shows he has more to say than many of his contemporaries in the genre.
“Ballads 1” is a dark and lo-fi trip that flows as one cohesive project for the listener. The album is short and sweet at a little over 30 minutes and spends most of it’s time wallowing in its own self pity. Joji’s songwriting doesn’t branch out much beyond whining and sadly reminiscing about the one that broke his heart, which might be appealing to some, but could definitely turn some people off.
Despite the fact that most of his songs follow similar themes, Joji’s songwriting rarely comes off as repetitive or immature with the exception of a couple tracks such as the childish “No Fun”. Overall, the album handles its subject matter of drug abuse, depression and loss with grace and maturity, something that is surprising given Joji’s previous work.
Sonically the album bounces back and forth between experimental ballads like “Attention” and “Why am I still in LA?” and more conventional, low-fi hip-hop bangers like, “Yeah Right” and “Test Drive”.
“Ballads 1” finds a balance between both genres and the bass driven riffs of “Attention” lead beautifully into the more conventional production of “Slow Dancing in the Dark”, which is, without a doubt, one of the most impressive singles released this year.
Overall, Joji has delivered a very solid project that is sure to win some but not all of his doubters over. Despite some forgettable moments on the project, “Ballads 1” is the perfect album to throw on for long drives at night. “Ballads 1” is available on all streaming platforms and is priced at $10.
