Song Review: ‘Gimme Love’ by Joji

Beloved local sad boy Joji has struck again with a third offering, ‘Gimme Love,’ from his forthcoming second studio album Nectar, due for release in July. Although his departure from a YouTube career as Filthy Frank/Pink Guy to sign with 88rising — a label that prioritises Asian artists — raised some eyebrows in 2017, Joji’s shown that he’s more than qualified to draw a captive audience in his own skin. ‘Gimme Love’ cements this status.

His two preceding singles, ‘Sanctuary’ and ‘Run’, had already primed fans to expect a different side of Joji from his new material. With higher production value and a cleaner sound, these tracks saw him experiment with instrumentation and push the boundaries of his vocal range, departing musically from the trip hop gloominess that characterised his first album, BALLADS 1.

Given how different these two singles sounded in comparison to his previous work, it’s  surprising to hear Joji return to his lo-fi roots at the start of ‘Gimme Love’. With a frenetic head-boppy trap beat and mumbly monotone vocals, it’s a throwback to his first album and perfect for a solo bathroom dance in quarantine. His lyrics are gloomy as ever but don’t get too deep: yearning for a lover to return his affections. The accompanying music video, directed by Joji and Andrew Donoho, pairs this section with speedily cross-cut grainy footage of Joji in various professions with the odd flashes of gory imagery; indeed, it’s reminiscent of the music videos for two singles from his first album, ‘CAN’T GET OVER YOU’ and ‘YEAH RIGHT.’

But the Joji of Nectar is out to shake things up. The second half of the track delivers an abrupt twist. Taking a transcendent turn, the frenzied pace strips back to ethereal vocals accompanied by the clean plink plink of a ukulele. Here, Joji yearns for escape: “Remember those times I fought to get out? / I want to get out.” This desire for escape is etched out in the music video alongside the sci-fi/space themes that had underpinned the previous two singles: the aspect ratio yawns into a cinematic widescreen as Joji, now an astronaut, plots a balletic escape into space. 

With its combination of lo-fi trip hop and diaphanous transcendence, ‘Gimme Love’ seems to be the bridge between the Joji of BALLADS 1 and the Joji of Nectar, who is in the process of being unveiled, single by single.