Joji is the Japanese American pop star we’ve been waiting for
- The Ivy Collegiate
- May 14, 2020
- 1 min read

Joji is an American Japanese pop star that is showing there's room in the pop music industry for powerful artists who don't shy away from race.
A recent headliner at the Head in the Clouds festival in Los Angeles, Joji brings all new meaning to the word "representation".
"He expresses himself in a way that I really identify with", Cynthia Lee, Freshman at UCLA says. "His content is dark and moody, and as an Asian American myself, I connect with his story more than I connect with other pop stars. For him, race is a part of who he is. He's an important voice in the conversation about race in America."
Touted by mainstream music listeners and K-Pop listeners alike, Joji has struck a chord as a sensitive yet grimy artist, bringing soulful vocals to lush textured lo-fi beats.
"He's sort of combined so many elements of my world growing up," continues Lee, "and that's what makes him so unique and powerful."
Joji is a kind of folk hero to some within the American K-Pop fanbase. He is the first Japanese American artist to release a platinum album under the K-Pop genre. BALLADS 1, his full-length studio debut, has earned him over 12 million monthly Spotify listeners.
"It's really good to feel represented", says Lee.
"I think Joji serves as a wake-up call for America. Artists like Rich Brian, iKon, and Joji are redefining what it means to be a successful pop star in American music. Joji is the artist many of us have been waiting for."
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