INTERVIEW: Joony Fights Silent Battles For Us All
This past February, DMV rapper Joony released Silent Battles, an album that a twenty-year-old shouldn’t be able to make. Ninety-nine percent of musicians are just finding their footing at that age, and even if they’re talented enough to make a name for themselves, what they make is normally reliant on the styles of their biggest influences. That’s the furthest thing from the truth for Silent Battles, a record that seamlessly transitions between different grooves–the pain-music of “Friends” and its opening and closing numbers, The Neptunes-esque bounce of “Lifestyle,” the Dilla-inspired drums of “After Hours,” and the indie-R&B tempo of “BETWEEN US”–all while keeping the same somber, reflective atmosphere. It’s an astonishingly mature project from someone who can’t legally buy a beer, and one of the best albums of 2021. With the release of Silent Battles’ deluxe version out July 19, Joony sat down with Sparky to discuss the meaning behind the album, his vision for the deluxe and his new clothing line, his plans for the future, and more.
The central theme of Silent Battles resides within its title phrase. Speaking over the phone, Joony explains the role that the concept of “silent battles'' plays in the context of the album: “The whole time I was making this album, I was literally going through battles in silence… and so Silent Battles is the idea that we’re all fighting something in secret. You might go and dap up your friend and ask how they’re doing; they’ll probably say they’re good, but everyone’s going through something on the low. They could have depression, or an opioid addiction, and you would never know.” It’s that universal truth that not only makes the album incredibly relatable and accessible, but it’s why the album is able to stay cohesive without sounding too samey, instrumentally and substance-wise. “Each song is a silent battle in itself. The first song, it’s me reflecting on being young, and how I’ve bossed up a little bit. It’s why I said, ‘If I could talk to my old self, he’d be so proud.’ That’s a silent battle. The second song, ‘Friends,’ is about fake people. Trying to figure out who’s real. That’s a silent battle. And so forth.”
Instrumentally, Silent Battles is a departure from Joony’s previous work. While the majority of his mixtapes in the past were grounded in DMV punch-in flows and Plugg beats, there’s far more variety in the sounds of his newest offering. On first listen, you’ll find yourself being thrown curveball after curveball until your expectations for what’s coming next are completely erased. According to Joony, the diversity in the project’s beats are a result of his love for music of all kinds. “I want to make one-of-a-kind music. I have a lot of influences from a lot of different places, and I consider myself a fan of music in general. My old tapes were influenced more by the DMV, where I come from. But as I’ve gotten older, I’ve found more confidence to branch out and do other stuff, because n****s will still fuck with it. And it’s gonna get crazier, and more different. This is just the start of me actually making the music I always wanted to make.” He accredits the expanding of resources for part of this confidence boost, specifically the fact that the record was made in a high-level studio, a contrast to the homemade circumstances his earlier tapes were made in.
Asked about how his catalog will progress, Joony mentions that he’s looking to collaborate with a wide range of artists alongside his own musical progression, which includes an EP of songs in the style of 2000s R&B in the future. Alongside names like SoFaygo, Trippie Redd, TyFontaine (who appears on Silent Battles’ deluxe) and DJ Dahi, Joony expressed an interest to work with PinkPantheress, Clairo, and Olivia Rodrigo; three musicians that would probably leave people surprised if he hadn’t already expressed his love for indie pop and rock as a tween. He also mentioned that he’s continued to collaborate with fellow DMV star Brent Faiyaz, whose 2021 loosie “Paper Soldier” featured Joony. Brent isn’t just a friend or a collaborator, Joony says. “I’ve always seen Brent as an older version of me. The first song he ever told me he really fucked with was ‘Watch My Back’[from his 2020 album Ghosts], and relistening to it, I understand why. Hearing ‘F**k The World,’ it has the same vibe and concept,”
For now, though, Joony’s focus is on the release of the Silent Battles deluxe and his clothing line. “The deluxe is more of a record for the summer. The quality of the music is still up to par, if not better, but it’s less about a concept and more for the fans to enjoy. There are summer records, soft shit for the people who like that, and some YouTube exclusive ones as well.” He refers to the tape as a b-side: a lighthearted counterpart to the heavier standard tracklist that gives the entire body of work a yin-yang quality. It’s far from a bunch of throwaways, though. To celebrate the deluxe’s release, Johnny threw a listening party at a pop-up shop that coincided with the release of his clothing line. As far as the Silent Battles clothing line is concerned, Joony sees it as an expansion of the LP’s core ideas. “I have a connection with the concept of ‘silent battles,’ and I want to take that to the next level. But the mood of the clothing won’t always be the same as the mood of the album; I want to make it a reflection of how I feel at any given time.”
While it’s rare to see someone so young already have such a distinct sound, it’s virtually impossible to come across one that makes every decision as intelligently as Joony has in 2021. Even the seemingly common-sense logic of releasing a collection of feel-good tracks in the summer following a more mellow album in the dead of winter is something that is rarely seen among upstart independent artists of any genre. His understanding and application of concepts into his music without being preachy is something some veterans never truly figure out, and the consistency in his overall aesthetic normally requires PR managers and creative directors galore. It all revolves around his excellent music, and his future’s outcome is clear: not only will Joony become a star, but he’s going to be making some of the best songs, and albums, of the coming years. Silent Battles, and its deluxe, is only the beginning.
Written By Michael Di Gennaro
