If there is an artist that you see featured on lots of projects, chances are artists want to work with them for a reason. It seems like Joony has been all over the place working with some of the best talent the game has to offer, and that cannot be a coincidence.
I first started listening to Joony a few years back and knew after hearing him vocaizing in a way that only he can, that I had to tap in. Growing up in the DMV Joony had been making music since he can remember, and attributes a lot of his sound to his early indie rock influences such as MGMT & Arcade Fire. As he matured he expanded his music taste amongst hip-hop and R&B artists, and this is why he’s been able to create such a diverse catalog. Early on he caught the attention of Brent Faiyaz who included him on his 2022 album WASTELAND with the song “FYTB”. That song alone gave Joony tons of exposure racking up over 20 million streams on Spotify and giving him his first Billboard Hot 100 Chart entry. Since then, he’s collaborating with a bunch of talented artists including Kankan, Jordan Ward, TyFontaine, Summrs and more.
He released two projects in the last few years that have really established him in the industry. His album Pretty In Black back in 2022 first made headway with his song “DRIFTING IN TOKYO” massing over 2 million streams. Joony referred to this album as his “most complete project” and the one that really was a wake up call to everyone that he can compete with the best of them. He hits a bunch of different themes throughout it and specially touches on themes of love saying, “love is one of the most powerful emotions” and feels it is something that a lot of his fans can relate to at some point in their life. Although it got the most streams, I think the song that really showed what he can do is “I’M IN LOVE”. This is a mix of a rap & pop song and shows everything that Joony can do all on one track. The chorus that he echoes in the background shows the ablitiy to hit these insane notes, while the verse shows that he can’t be boxed into one genre. Fastforward to 2023 and Joony dropped SHITUMSS which was very different from the prior album and was more surrounded by an electornic trap sound to carry the album.
I think what’s most impressive about his music is his ability to harmonize and find catchy melodies to tap in to. He isn’t limited into any genre and can hop on virtually any beat he wants to and create a hit. It’s very reminiscent of Swae Lee the way he is able to layer his vocals and create these angelic hooks. Swae has repeatedly been referred to as the “King of Melodies” and if there is anyone worthy to be his heir, it’s Joony.
On top of it all, Joony is an artist that his fans can relate to. He is one of the most humble and down-to-earth people I have had to chance to know. Something that can’t be overlooked when talking about artists is their ability to connect with their fans and humanize themselves. Lots of people allow the money, fame, and success get to their head, but the ones who are able to remain themselves through it all and really still care about making music that matters are the special ones. And there is no doubt this one is of the most special of them all.