what’s around the corner
joya mooi
2022/2023
Blending R&B-soul wit with tranquil dream pop, Johannesburg and Amsterdam’s emerging music export has completely mastered her sound.
R&B/Dream Pop
BY HARPSICHORD
APRIL 8, 2023
It becomes a rarity, but a familiar odyssey when discovering an artist with so much potential– that it pains you to not see them with more mainstream success. Hidden in the depths of the music interwebs are plenty of blogs and independent publications covering those artists who would be referred to as “underground.” On Instagram, Joya Mooi only has less than 7K followers; Twitter sees her at less than 1K; while her best currency– Spotify– resoundingly sees her at nearly 110K monthly listeners. Despite these numbers, it still feels as though the South African and Dutch artist is lightyears ahead of what we’re given by those who see those aforementioned stats in the millions.
It’s not safe to call What’s Around The Corner a debut album, nor is it safe to guestimate where the album falls in her own personal chronology. All that can be said is that the album opens with a whimsical twinkle on “What Dreams I Have” – almost as if NASA has created a lullaby. Immediately we’re on a journey that is dreamy, as Mooi sings “All that could been” before she exhales into “images that stay the same.” From there, listeners start a journey on an aerodynamic valley of ups and downs focusing on disenchanted love, the failure to live up to being the best at times, and her own introspective gratitude for simply existing another day.
The heart of What’s Around The Corner exists in the immersion of jazz-R&B grooves reminiscent of the likes of Amel Larrieux, blending with the production bounce of contemporary trapsoul (“Left Outside” and “So Stunning”), and the overarching presence of Frou Frou lead dream pop and Sade lead sophisti-pop. Mooi’s voice is faint, but at times it calls for attention as a song reaches its dramatic point– as exemplified by a vocal crescendo done towards the end of Volume 2’s opener “No Beginning.”
Joya Mooi revealed to 1883 Magazine that she decided to release a second volume of What’s Around The Corner after writing “No Beginning,” because “that track is really about craving a new [one].” Originally the album received a September 2022 release of just nine tracks. According to 1883 Magazine those nine tracks revolve around seeking an escapism while dealing with Mooi’s own personal baggage and recollections. Although she is discussing “Little Lies”-- and the implications of hiding from one’s truth during the Volume A interlude– she experiences the bliss of jingle-heaven. In “Most Frail,” she recalls walking for miles and passing by South Africa’s Naledi High – a spiritual tracing of her roots. That action is underscored by the loop of loungey guitar strings, backed by the ticking of an 808 drum. But at the 1:05 timestamp, listeners get a better comprehension of Mooi’s own escapism when a lower pitched voice ghostly-echoes “torn apart, my darkness? Won’t you stay there?” repeats. When it seems as though the song will end with outro music, Mooi grounds its energy to its starting form before singing the final chorus to a few piano keys.
It’s that type of ebb and flow that makes What’s Around The Corner stand out as a stellar project. One minute its glitchy in its form like 2010s Toronto-speared R&B that beckoned explanations for experiencing heartbreak (“Did Enough”); and the next moment, the album sways in vibes of ethereal sophistication (as displayed in the Swaito pop music influence of “There’s Too Much Of You”). At times the album becomes cinematic– exemplifying the storytelling of dramatic R&B of the 2000s (heard most clearly in the brooding “Remember” which powers on like a trap-pop version of “You Got Me” from the Roots). At other moments, an anthemic sense of gritty, self awareness peeks through (“We seen the way we’re becoming and other shit when scars heal” on “Sunwaves”).
Volume B’s attitude– which was uploaded in January 2023– is more down to earth. Mooi expresses that she is jilted, but through that she moves forward with more artistic maturity. “Slowly But Surely” best represents how the songs are allowed more time to elongate their circular vibes. If there were to be a single that would permeate current rhythmic radio because of that circular skill, it would be “Tears.” The first to last track offers strong songwriting about crying through final regrets, before the album ends on the piano notes of “The Process”. This is where Mooi reveals her coming of age actualization: She anticipates life’s predictability and appreciates how she’s becoming stronger for what’s to come next. In essence, there’s no such thing as coincidences when in the know.
Details
“You Know Me Well By Now” for its infectious balance of a repetitive chorus glossing over a hi-hat bounce that underscores the airiness of its dream pop vibes. The standout moment happens at the bridge at the 2:15 timestamp and how that cycles back into the addictive hook. It may be track three on the entire project, but it marks as an early LP epicenter.
“Roselle” for how it is reminiscent of the earthy vibes of India Arie and Res; and also how it sounds like the album cover depiction of Joya Mooi swaying on the ledge of a garden graced by Roman statues.
“Remember” for its maturity and honesty in terms of lyricism; and its dramatic build up in production by Sim Fane and SirOJ.
Key Tracks
It’s amazing to find a no-skips album that is cohesive, realistic, and soul healing. Nonetheless from someone who is not in the mainstream music industry with all that financial backing. It's rare when an artist is so uniquely comfortable in their sound and artistic direction, you wonder where they will go next.