WHAT IT IS: This Japanese singer and producer with a cult following from every corner of the Internet released his first studio album, BALLADS 1, in the fall. He made history as the first-ever Asian-born artist to top the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop charts, debuting at #3 overall. The set has since surpassed 300m global audio streams. He defies convention. His songs are characterized by down-tempo, melancholic themes and soulful vocals, layered over lush but grimy textures, as he blends elements of trap, folk, electronic and R&B. 2018 was a landmark year for Joji, and he’s just getting started
ALBUM: BALLADS 1
RELEASE DATE: 10/26/18
SINGLE: “YEAH RIGHT”
LIVE: Ballads 1 Tour 1/29-2/23; each date on this tour leg sold out within an hour of its public on-sale
INTERNET: 895k Spotify followers, 5.8m monthly listeners; 29m+ official video views on YouTube for single, 2.6m+ 88Rising YouTube
subscribers; 242k Facebook likes, 688k Twitter followers, 2.5m Instagram followers; 490k SoundCloud
PRESS: Forbes (“Intensely introspective, Joji’s new 12-track album evocatively grapples with the reality of life, love, and everything in between”), Pitchfork, more
BOOKING: UTA
MANAGEMENT: 88Rising