Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter, stylist, and performance artist Joel Christian slaps the scene with a dark pop banger in an exhilarating new single, "MYSTERY."
Known for his heated mix of dark pop and electronic music, Joel Christian creates a sound entirely his own, rooted in dark fantasies that now live through his artistry.
With his previous releases gaining remarkable recognition, like "Rise from the Grave" reaching over 70,000 streams on Spotify alone, there's no telling what an artist of Joel's capacity will do next.
But one thing's sure: he's leaving catchy melodies in our heads with his latest single, "MYSTERY." This new track, alongside its accompanying 80s horror-esque music video, sees Joel Christian deeply obsessed with figuring out his attraction to someone unique. The thrilling music video, the fashion, the makeup, and the cinematography bring us back in time with heavy sonic glimpses of the modern day.
Diving deeper into this new track, "MYSTERY" kicks off with a loud and proud synthy bass pumping through the speakers while Joel Christian makes his velvety vocal appearance. With an irresistible electronic flair that takes us straight to the dance club, Joel Christian blesses listeners with catchy melodies in lyrics like "Your love is like a mystery," leaving us chanting along.
As we continue through this fiery, mysterious listening experience, Joel Christian further explores the unknown aspects of love and his emotions. He desperately attempts to dissect the root of the attraction. It's a powerhouse club anthem that further showcases Christian's dominance in the dark electro-pop space with its video directed by Ryan Altman.
Try to figure out the "MYSTERY" yourself and find Joel Christian's latest single on all digital streaming platforms.
We love the steamy and dark vibe of your latest single, "MYSTERY." What inspired you to create this thrilling electro-pop banger? Hi Buzz! It's been a while! I'm happy to be back!
The MYSTERY of emotions inspired me. The curiosity of trying to solve your feelings, how someone is towards you, or your attraction towards something that is a "mystery." I was driving one day, and I just heard in my head the melody, "Your love is like a mystery..." I recorded it on my phone and sent it to my producer, and that's how this all started. Conceptually, with sound, I really wanted this record to be forward, fierce, catchy, and something you couldn't get out of your head.
What was your experience working with director Ryan Altman and the rest of the team when creating and shooting the music video for "MYSTERY?" What was that collaboration like?
Ryan is amazing and so funny. We spent a lot of time conceptually executing this video to make the record stand out even more. I wanted the video to be about fashion, art, and, most of all, bringing the song to life. We spent months before the video laying out exactly the color edits, the cuts we wanted to shoot, the outfits, and creating a whole experience with different lighting to make it the "Joel Christian" esque.
What inspired your ode to 80s horror in your music video for "MYSTERY?" Is that theme something special to you?
My friends and family all know I love anything sci-fi, fantasy, or horror. I always try to incorporate some sort of those elements within my video. I told my makeup artist that day that this was my "villain era," so we went with dark horns on my eyes for the makeup. Very Maleficent vibes. Even the fashion had this villain-style, with big leather shoulder pads, gloves, dark eye shadow, and wet, glossy hair. We had a wall of TVs to show a Poltergeist feel, with the nostalgic VHS clips in the back. I was having the best time!
We noticed you haven't released music since 2020. Why did you choose "MYSTERY" to be your big comeback? Why did this track lead the way?
I released my debut album, Dark Magic, during the pandemic, so I felt like it got lost in the way of the world. I chose MYSTERY because it just came to me randomly one day. I couldn't get that melody out of my head, and I'm like, this is the universe telling me this needs to come out somehow. At first, I was just going to release it as a single, and then I'm like, no...let's make a cool music video! I love that Mystery showcases my vocals more & it's just a fun banger. My previous album was super electronic and experimental, so it was fun to have MYSTERY lead this new era while still keeping my dark-pop sound.
What was the highlight of creating "MYSTERY?" What part of the process, be it the song or music video, did you enjoy and appreciate the most?
I think the entire creative process is my favorite. I love hearing the melody, structuring the lyrics, and then seeing it become an actual song. My favorite part of the process is being on set and creating the music video. I love performing and seeing the song come to life visually. It's also great to be around creative people who love their work and make my vision come to life! We all had the song stuck in our heads all day on set and just had the best time!