Ballads 1

Ballads 1 is the debut studio album by Japanese-Australian singer-songwriter Joji. The album was released on 26 October 2018 through 88rising and 12Tone Music. The album debuted at number three on the US Billboard 200 as well as number one on the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. The album was certified platinum by the RIAA in October 2021. Ballads 1 is primarily produced by Joji himself and contains only one guest vocal feature, with Trippie Redd appearing on "R.I.P." though features production features from names such as Clams Casino, D33J and Shlohmo. The project is introspective, writing about the "reality of love, life and everything in between." The project ranges from songs that are "heart-wrenching" and sometimes more cheerful to capture the feeling that "no one's sad all the time". The focus of the project is ballads, according to Joji; and in an interview with Annie Mac said that he was trying to make the project full of ballads that are different in their "own special way" and that are powerful, set a new direction but keep "Joji roots" he established on In Tongues. Joji stated in an interview with Triple J how he wanted to take a more pop-oriented approach to his style on the album, which began with the single "Yeah Right". The lead single, "Yeah Right", was released on 8 May 2018.