His Pink Guy song “ Help,” which is presented as a “parody” song about being depressed, curiously mirrors the lyrics on the Joji song “Demons.” And yeah, Pink Guy was making weird songs with names like “Hot Nickel Ball on a Pussy” and “Hentai,” but he was still playing with tropes of present-day trap and experimenting with various vocal styles. But despite its destructive nature, Joji is still very much indebted to his sordid past. He outlined that the years of acting caused numerous mental and physical health issues-including “throat tissue damage” and a neurological condition that brought about stress-induced seizures. Joji announced in December that he was retiring his YouTube channel. But ultimately, they displace Joji out of the world he’s created for himself-resulting in a hodge-podge of tracks that end as filler material. Dallas EDM producer Medasin brings “Will He” into future-bass territory, while English experimental techno producer Actress upscales “Window” into an unrecognizable form-cleverly chucking out all of Joji’s bland lyrics in favor of some synth bloops. Unfortunately, the remixes that bulk up the last half of the recently released deluxe version of In Tongues hardly preserve what little emotional intensity Joji has on offer.

While Joji fails to push boundaries in terms of lyrical content or sonic palette, he does succeed in creating a fairly compelling mood that invites listeners to wallow with him. In “Pills,” he parrots the clichés of any R&B breakup song birthed from Soundcloud: “I need you back,” flanked by mentions of Xanax and Zoloft. He shame-spirals in the dizzy “ Will He,” while wondering about his ex-girl’s new man. But lyrically, he circles around aimlessly with typical sad-boy subject matter: heartbreak, regret, and drugs. Joji adeptly peels off the pretense of his inane YouTube persona and reveals something tender and slightly more complex underneath.

And because Joji is a boy of the internet, it’s unsurprising that he seems to be most influenced by cloud-rap producers Shlohmo and Clams Casino-as evidenced by his emphasis on hazy atmosphere, organic samples, and lo-fi drums. His voice pulsates with soft and woozy vocal chops on top of minimal piano chords, like so many James Blake acolytes before him. His debut EP, In Tongues, marks a natural progression into a more serious take on musicianship from a former internet comedian. He now writes and produces brooding downtempo R&B that exhibits a newfound introspection and sincerity. And so naturally, Joji’s trying to break out of the internet box.

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