The California-based Singer-Songwriter, producer and recording artist AJ La Joya sends us into a sweet sonic venture with his latest toe-tapping single, "Hallucinate."
As the pandemic struck, AJ La Joya felt more inspired than ever to hone in on his creative abilities, which led him to release his debut mixtape, 'Carefree Energy.' Known for blending fresh raps with infectious melodies and charismatic vocals, AJ La Joya draws inspiration from acts like Lauryn Hill, Prince, The Notorious B.I.G, and Erykah Badu.
Cradling our ears with his latest high-energy single, "Hallucinate," AJ La Joya can be heard in the heart of a nostalgic yet modern-toned pop song that borders on the lines of r&b and contemporary hip-hop. While the intoxicating sonics punch through our speakers with the utmost strength and power, AJ La Joya backs them up with his refreshing vocal stylings that naturally uplift the listener.
Hitting play on "Hallucinate," the track energetically opens with a plucky bass-like synth, warm background pads, and bright keyboard melodies. As the beat drops into this infectious electro-pop groove, AJ La Joya makes his sultry vocal appearance and begins to drench our ears in his incredibly warm and melodic vocals that set the song's sensual and exciting tone.
As AJ La Joya continues grooving to the song's upbeat and lively sonic arrangements, he later expands on how intoxicating someone's presence is while depicting rather sexual and playful scenes that up the song's passion and desire. As AJ La Joya takes us to the outro of this shimmering single, the track comes to a sweet and savory end with boundless lust and hunger.
Trip into the passion and excitement of AJ La Joya's new single, "Hallucinate," and find the single on all digital streaming platforms.
We adore the refreshing and exciting venture you've taken us on with your latest single, "Hallucinate." What inspired you to create such a lustful and stimulating song like this? I’ve been obsessed with vaporwave and retro wave stylized art for the past year. As soon as I heard this beat and synths I was like, “THIS IS THE ONE”! I started humming the chorus and things fell naturally from there. I started crafting a story about the thin lines between love and lust, and how naivety can play a part in it. I think it’s a theme that we all can relate to… yearning to be loved so much that we ignore the red flags. What genre or sound were you aiming to achieve with the sonics in "Hallucinate"? Did you want the song to lean more towards contemporary electro-pop or nostalgic synthpop? The beat was created by this amazing duo in Europe. I worked off of their beat and put my own flare to it with the songwriting and vocal delivery. I rap so I wanted to include elements of that in my verses. I can also sing so I wanted to include that to contrast the rap elements and truly drive that nostalgic synthpop feel. One of my favorite eras in music is the 80s so I wanted to pay homage. How did you want to make the listener feel with your desirous and lustful lyricism in "Hallucinate"? What sort of images or scenes did you want to paint in their minds? At the surface level, I wanted to create a retro vibe and give the listener something to dance/sing along to (especially during the chorus). If we dive deeper into the lyrics and what I’m actually saying, I want people to feel a range of emotions: vulnerability, anger, hopelessness, lust, etc. Basically, I’m painting a story of being trapped inside one’s head, consumed by the thoughts of a lover. You know the relationship is no good for you, but for some reason, you stay; you can’t escape. Did you work entirely solo on the production and sonics for "Hallucinate?" What was your behind-the-scenes creative process like when navigating the song's overall atmosphere and vibe? Again, I purchased the beat; but when it came to writing/structuring the lyrics, I did that. I think part of the reason why I was able to write the lyrics so fast is that I basically had a movie in my head. I had a storyline about toxic love and just ran with it. I even wrote a whole music video treatment for it... heavy on the synth/vaporwave of course!
