In the wake of his debut album BALLADS 1 and having his “SLOW DANCING IN THE DARK” song certified as a Gold record, Joji is back today with “Sanctuary”—an enormous power ballad teeming with emotion and sentiment. “Sanctuary” gives voice to a lovesick yet hopeful feeling towards an unrequited love.
While the single calls upon sensibilities of 80s icons like Phil Collins and Journey, Joji’s latest is drenched in minimalistic beats and futuristic soundscapes, acting as somewhat of a “taste before the madness.” The video, directed by Eoin Glaister, is a campy space drama as envisioned by Joji.
The accompanying video for “Sanctuary” is a melancholic space odyssey that tells the story of “Captain Joji,” a space ranger who travels across lightyears to defeat his arch nemesis. The video begins with Captain Joji succeeding in ridding the universe of his sworn enemy and portrays life a year later for Captain Joji and his crew. The visual deals with the malaise of a hero who, after saving the galaxy, no longer bears a purpose. The burden of being a hero without a clear future weighs heavily on Captain Joji. What does one do next?
Watch the video Joji’s “Sanctuary”:
This past year proved to be a breakthrough year for Joji as he scored his first entry on the Billboard Hot 100 chart with “SLOW DANCING IN THE DARK”, charted at No.1 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Chart with his debut LP BALLADS 1, a nd has accrued over 310 million streams to date. BALLADS 1 itself has reached over 850 million streams as of today. A master of multiple mediums, Joji is an Osaka, Japan-born singer and producer capturing a following from every corner of the Internet. The multi-talented visionary defies convention — his songs are characterized by down tempo, melancholic themes and soulful vocals, layered over lush grimy textures, blending elements of trap, folk, electronic, and R&B. Featured everywhere from GQ to Nylon to Billboard to VICE News (HBO) to The FADER and beyond, Joji is one of the most interesting and promising new artists in the digital age.
