Joji is back with the ‘saddest song’

The music of Joji got me thinking of Percy Bysshe Shelly. He was one of the famous romantic poets of England in the 18th century alongside John Keats and Lord Byron. Shelly, who was a baronet, lived a tempestuous life filled with women, political battles, domestic problems, friendships with famous people and lots of writing. He was married to Mary Shelly, who wrote the novel Frankenstein. He died in a sailing accident when he was only 29 years old.

Shelly wrote many poems of rare lyric beauty which, to this day, are among the most quoted by poetry lovers of a romantic bent. Among these are Adonais, Ozymandias, Ode to the West Wind, Mont Blanc, To the Moon, Music When Soft Voices Die and To a Skylark. The latter is about a bird whom he addressed as Blithe Spirit. It includes the lines, “Our sweetest songs are those that tell of saddest thoughts.” The quote comes to mind each time we hear a sad song and Joji has the saddest, most beautiful songs.

I came across Joji about three years ago when I saw somebody in an ice-skating competition dancing to a most arresting tune. It turned out to be Slow Dancing in the Dark by Joji. That led to listening to his other works and watching his sometimes shocking, violent videos. YEAH RIGHT, Sanctuary, Run, Your Man, Gimme Love. It was obvious that although he is basically R&B, he liked trying out other beats and would not be categorized. What his beautiful ballads had in common though was sadness that is so palpable even in music you can dance to.

Singer, songwriter, rapper and comedian Joji is George Kusunoki Miller who was born in Osaka, Japan of a Japanese mother and an American father. Obsessed with performing from a young age, he went to the US of A when he was 18 to study in New York and later try his luck in show business.

It was not long after that he found success as an irreverent, satiric comedian named Filthy Frank and sometimes Pink Guy. With regular theater performances, recorded albums, possibilities of film and television roles and an online following numbering by the millions, Miller as Filthy certainly had it made. And then, he chucked it all to do music.

Joji made very good with his music, with songs landing in worldwide charts and online views by the billions. But then he disappeared again. There was some news that it was caused by health issues. I don’t really know why. What I know is that all of a sudden, a few weeks ago, the name Joji resurfaced in the hit charts. YouTube, Spotify, Billboard, etc., there was Joji. Can this be the Joji of Slow Dancing in the Dark?

It was indeed Joji. He was back and he had another song, Glimpse of Us, that is the saddest of all. “I’m only here passing time in her arms, hoping I’ll find a glimpse of us.” I know it is nothing that could have come from Shelly but sad, painful and beautiful just the same. Watch the compelling video and you will not be able to get it out of your head. Joji is truly back.

And now the latest Billboard Global Philippines Top 25 tracks of the week are: Left and Right by Charlie Puth featuring Jungkook; Glimpse of Us by Joji; Angel Baby by Troye Sivan; Muli by Ace Banzuelo; Mahika by Adie and Janice Berdin; POP! by NAYEON; Isa Lamang by Arthur Nery; Kagome by Lo ki; Until I Found You by Stephen Sanchez; Sun and Moon by Anees; Ikaw Lang by Nobita; Pagsamo by Arthur Nery.

Paraluman by Adie; As It Was by Harry Styles; Yet to Come (The Most Beautiful Moment) by BTS; Pano by Zack Tabudlo; Kumpas (Theme of 2 Good 2 Be True) by Moira Dela Torre; Habang Buhay by Zack Tabudlo; NVMD by Denise Julia; Tahanan by Adie; Asan Ka Na Ba by Zack Tabudlo; Ghost by Justin Bieber; Life Without a Hook by Ricky Montgomery; About Damn Time by Lizzo; and Every Summertime by NIKI.