After nearly three years of silence, Joji is back in the spotlight. But what really happened to the singer and why did choose to come back now? On 14 October, the Japanese-Australian singer-songwriter broke his hiatus with the release of his new single, Pixelated Kisses, sparking excitement across his global fanbase.
A Digital Love Song for Modern Dating
Joji’s latest track explores modern dating, discussing the themes of distance, longing and the limitations of digital intimacy. It critiques and highlights how online interactions fall short compared to real-life connections, blurred through static screens and satellites.
This sentiment is evident in the chorus, ‘Pixelated kisses got me goin’ insane / Replicate this moment from a million miles away,’ he sings softly over a heavy trap beat that slowly fades away.
‘Waiting for the signal, baby, nevеr make a sound / If you never hеar from me, all the satellites are down.’ The lyrics capture the feeling of wanting connection in an increasingly disconnected world.
A New Label
After five years with Warner and 88rising, Joji begins a new chapter at Palace Creek, a label distributed by Virgin Music under Universal Music Group. Pixelated Kisses marks his first release with the label. With this fresh deal and a strong legacy fuelling his momentum, Joji’s evolution from YouTube comic to music star continues to gain momentum.
Photo: Joji’s Instagram @sushitrash
The move also hints a shift towards artistic autonomy. This single showcases Joji’s independence and hints at a willingness to defy expectations and experiment freely with his sound.
Although Joji has not released new music since 2022, he remained active through performances at festivals and concerts. His last appearance before stepping out of the limelight was his Pandemonium Tour in 2023, which included stops in North America, Oceania and Asia.
Reason For the Three-Year Hiatus and His Condition
In November 2023, Joji suddenly cancelled his remaining Asia tour dates due to health reasons. After performing in Manila, the singer announced on his Instagram, ‘Unfortunately, I won’t be able to make it to my upcoming shows in Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, and Hong Kong due to health reasons. I will be back, I promise!’
That promise took nearly three years to fulfil, and his return has reignited excitement across the music community, with fans eager to see what direction he’ll take next.
Photo: Filthy Frank’s Facebook
The Glimpse of Us singer has been open about his health struggles, especially since retiring his ‘Filthy Frank’ or ‘Pink Guy’ persona. He candidly discussed the mental health challenges he faced while portraying them.
‘Filthy Frank’ was a wildly popular YouTube persona known for absurd comedy, shock humour, and viral videos like the Harlem Shake. It brought Joji internet fame, but also personal strain.
He later stepped away to focus on music, reinventing himself as the Joji we know today — a serious artist celebrated for his emotional, lo-fi, and R&B-inspired sound. In a fan Q&A, he revealed that he suffers from a neurological disorder that causes stress and even seizures, though he did not reveal the exact diagnosis.
Before his recent return, fans had speculated about Joji’s whereabouts. One fan wrote, ‘There are only 3 choices here. Joji is still creating his best album, he focuses on writing songs for other artists, or he stops making music to focus on his mental health.’
Now, with Pixelated Kisses, fans are simply thrilled that Joji is back—finally fulfilling his promise.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.ibtimes.co.uk ’
