Joji returns with haunting new single ‘PIXELATED KISSES’ — listen

Joji is back with ‘PIXELATED KISSES’, his first new drop since SMITHEREENS. Written, produced, and recorded by Joji himself, the track finds him leaning into a bare, late-night palette that feels intimate from the first bar.

‘PIXELATED KISSES’ opens with hushed vocals floating over a muted trap pulse. Subtle synths flicker at the edges, like typing bubbles that never turn into a message. The hook lands quietly but sticks, framing a mood of digital longing and half-remembered warmth.

The arrangement stays minimal — clipped drums, roomy reverb, space to breathe — but the emotion swells in the negative space. It’s classic Joji restraint: let the melody ache, let the silence say the rest.

Coming off SMITHEREENS (and past standouts from BALLADS 1 and NECTAR), ‘PIXELATED KISSES’ feels like a reset — familiar melancholy, sharper focus.