3 minute read
Boygenius
during the group’s hiatus. Dacus’ autobiographical album “Home Video” (2021) culminated in a North American “couch tour,’’ in which she performed lying down during the shows due to two herniated discs. Referring to the shows as her “most humiliating and hilarious moments,” the unprecedented concerts only amplified Dacus’ fanbase. The group’s final member, Julien Baker, also released her third studio album, “Little Oblivions,” in 2021, featuring her classic rock-infused guitar riffs and gut-wrenching one-liners that have become a staple in Boygenius tracks.
As the countdown to Boygenius’ full album release on March 31st continues, the band’s first three songs, “Emily I’m Sorry”, “$20”, and “True Blue” continue to gain traction, performed at the Tibet House US Benefit Concert on March 1. Not long after their initial drop, the songs were followed up by the group’s fourth release, “Not Strong
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Enough”, accompanied by a self-made music video, shot and edited by Bridger’s younger brother, Jackson. An ode to the trio’s unique friendship, the video details the group’s adventures on a cross-country road trip as they entertain themselves with amusement park rides, museum visits, and beach days.
Taking their name from the overconfident men who have long since dominated the music industry, Boygenius has become known for their desire to subvert the industry’s chronic male worship. Similar to the cover of their self-titled EP, where the group mirrored the debut album of Crosby, Stills, and Nash, Boygenius was recently featured on the cover of Rolling Stone, recreating the magazine’s iconic 1994 Nirvana photoshoot.
However, despite their criticism of the blind praise given to male artists, the group finds much of their inspiration in the works of classic-rock musicians like Paul McCartney, My Chemical Romance, and Neil Young. With searing lyrics and perfectly-timed guitar riffs, Boygenius ties together elements of folk, rock, and pop to make genre-defining music that bridges the gap between the music of today and the music of our parents. While Boygenius is often pigeon-holed as “sad-girl music,” true listeners know that the band is much more than a single, confining emotion. Drawing on childhood memories, past romances, and ruminating thoughts, the three songwriters infuse their work with feeling, speaking to their listeners on a personal level with each haunting melody.
With the sweeping success of his hit single “Glimpse of Us”, singer songwriter Joji has cemented himself as the voice of a generation. Spending the past few months on tour, Joji is riding the success of his third studio album Smithereens. However, as Joji continues to rise in popularity, fans have begun to look into his controversial past and ask the question–where did this guy come from?
Joji, real name George Kusunoki Miller, was born on September 18, 1992 in Osaka, Japan. He is half-Japanese and half-Australian, and he lived in Japan until moving to the U.S. at age 18 for college. It was here that George began posting online content under the persona “Filthy Frank.”
Filthy Frank lived up to his name. Known for his shock humor, the character posted everything from offensive rants to embarrassing public pranks and crude music videos. Easily recognized by his glasses and blue polo, his most recognizable trait was his coarse, throaty voice. With video titles like “Filthy Frank vs. Animal Rights” and “How to Dubstep,” it was only natural that his videos attracted the younger, meme-obsessed generation of the early 2010s. Over the course of six years, George would build an expansive YouTube empire, creating a web of characters tangled up in complex, edgy lore. His videos regularly went viral, with a majority of them garnering over 10 million views each. Most notably, George accidentally kicked off the Harlem Shake trend after a video of him dancing in his notorious pink bodysuit went viral in 2013.
Throughout the Frank years, hints of George’s unique musical stylings would seep through the cracks. He created the aforementioned “Pink Guy” character and used it as a musical outlet, regularly putting out short, lighthearted ukulele music videos about fried noodles and anime women. At the same time, George secretly began to post music under the name Joji. The ukulele acoustics and haunting high-pitch vocals were still there, but the music was less ironic, with lyrics focusing more on George’s personal relationships and struggles. George believed his fan base wouldn’t care for his more lo-fi music, so he decided to keep Joji a secret until his identity leaked in 2016. After this leak, George released two singles and announced his first Joji album: Chloe Burbank: Volume 1.
Chloe Burbank: Volume 1 never released. While there have been leaks, the project in its entirety has never been heard by the public. The common belief is that George simply became too busy as he tried to balance his two musical personas, Joji and Pink Guy. 2017 was a huge year for George, as he started working with record label 88rising to release his In Tongues EP, his first official Joji project. Meanwhile, George put out his second Pink Guy album titled Pink Season. This release was wildly successful, landing at number 70 on the U.S. Billboard 200. Featuring songs about memes, high school, and Nickelodeon sitcoms, George’s signature crude humor was on display in full force, and his audience couldn’t wait for more. Unbeknownst to fans, Pink Season would be the Filthy Frank brand’s swan song.
After months of Filthy Frank inactivity, George posted a Twitter statement on December 29, 2017, putting an end to Frank. While George was grateful to his old fanbase, he simply no longer enjoyed producing crude, satirical content. He also noted health concerns, explaining that throat tissue damage and neurological issues made it difficult to continue playing the character. Fans were saddened, and thousands of tributes started