Simultaneously playing comic and crooner, Joji balances this duality on his second album Nectar, a one-of-a-kind body of work from an equally unique artist.
By expanding his sonic scope, the one-time viral Internet comedian unlocks a fresh set of possibilities for where he can take his sound. Bold, brave, and bigger-budget, Nectar is a major turning point for Joji, a declaration and creative jump that eclipses what he's done in the past and shines a light on where he's headed in the future.
Joji has certainly taken a step forward with his second wide release. On the singles especially he shows moments of real creativity with the arrangements and showcases his undeniable skills as a vocalist.
Nectar offers Joji's highest highlights to date, though all in all it could've benefited from some more editing.
Nectar largely feels removed from its inspiration in reality, so that it’s tantamount to the relatable but rote sadness of a Tweetdecked epigram, the equivalent of a half-hearted “it be like that sometimes.”
The hype built around this album shows a sense of bad marketing. The album is 100x more lowkey than songs like Run, and so you have to readjust your mindset multiple times in a single listen. The biggest problem for joji is arrangement and consistancy. He becomes an unreliable narrator, and I just lose interest by the end.
It hurts when tracks 6-8 are nearly perfect songs, and they are just padded out with filler. Still, Joji's best official release
What if this album didn't have any hidden flaws? Since I discovered Joji 4 years ago now, I always appreciate his rather atypical style/formula despite his more predictable side, making him an artist with the potential to make his mark. Although I don't really approve of the method, George Miller was able to put the entertainment on Youtube to his advantage in order to be able to later make himself a great launching pad to devote himself to Joji, a serious artist who is far from having the face ... read more
Joji. Please work with me here!
I feel in the music community, there is always one question people have when talking about Joji: Can he do it? Not to say that he’s untalented, or unworthy of making great music, but there is this strange pressure given to the man's music that I have rarely seen on other artists. There is almost this expectation that he needs to quote ‘prove’ himself to people as an artist, which is strange considering he’s proven himself to make some ... read more
Although I think this album is better than Ballads 1, I personally enjoy the slower sound of Ballads 1. Not that this isnt slow, just enjoy the feel of it more. Still an amazing album from my favorite artist.
1 | Ew 3:27 | 87 |
2 | MODUS 3:27 | 84 |
3 | Tick Tock 2:12 | 79 |
4 | Daylight 2:43 with Diplo | 81 |
5 | Upgrade 1:29 | 73 |
6 | Gimme Love 3:34 | 87 |
7 | Run 3:15 | 94 |
8 | Sanctuary 3:00 | 91 |
9 | High Hopes 3:02 feat. Omar Apollo | 64 |
10 | NITROUS 2:11 | 73 |
11 | Pretty Boy 2:36 feat. Lil Yachty | 77 |
12 | Normal People 2:46 feat. rei brown | 72 |
13 | Afterthought 3:14 with Benee | 79 |
14 | Mr. Hollywood 3:22 | 78 |
15 | 777 3:01 | 73 |
16 | Reanimator 3:03 feat. Yves Tumor | 70 |
17 | Like You Do 4:00 | 87 |
18 | Your Man 2:43 | 75 |
#18 | / | Riff |
/ | Alternative Press |