Joel Christian Fights Fire With Fantasy in New Single “ENEMY”

Joel Christian has never been afraid of the dark. In fact, he thrives in it. With his new single “ENEMY,” the LA-based artist delivers a high-voltage, synth-driven anthem about inner chaos, duality, and ultimately, self-ownership. It’s pop, but it’s built like a battlefield.

Known for his gothic glam aesthetic and emotionally charged electropop sound, Joel Christian is stepping deeper into his signature world, where the club meets confession, and fantasy collides with raw truth. “ENEMY” pulses with adrenaline. It’s cinematic, theatrical, and unfiltered. The kind of track you scream in the mirror when you're done running from yourself.

“I created this character to feel like I was worth something, but then it felt like it was destroying me. I tried shoving down my voice and creativity, but it always resurfaced. 'ENEMY' is that song for me.”

At its core, "ENEMY" isn’t about external conflict. It’s about the war inside. You know, the version of you that wants to hide and refuses to shrink. Joel Christian describes it as the song that captures his long fight with self-worth and identity, especially as an artist who built a persona to survive, only to feel consumed by it later.

“ENEMY” is deeply personal. What was the turning point where you knew this song had to be written, no matter how raw it got?

"ENEMY" felt like it was itching inside of me to be released. I had just released my second EP, and I was going to chill for a bit. But then I kept hearing this melody, it honestly felt like it was a song that kept haunting me...like throughout my day I would just start singing "Oh....I feel you haunting me....you're my own worst enemy" and I remember recording it on my voice notes. That was truly the beginning of the entire storyline. It felt like the song found me and needed to come out. I knew instantly this was the next song I needed to release.

You talk about the duality of persona vs person. How do you navigate that balance now, especially in an industry that thrives on image?

I've struggled for so many years with balancing the duality of being an artist and just a normal guy. I created this eccentric dark persona when I first started doing music in my early 20s, and it sort of just followed me. Throughout my life and career, my stage names changed, but my artistry never did. It felt like a split personality, like I created this persona so that I could live a life on stage and a life in reality - but in the end, it kind of just morphed into one. That's what this song is about. Not running from your enemy (or yourself) but embracing it.

This single is sonically huge — dark, danceable, and cinematic. What influenced the production style, and how did you want it to feel emotionally?

I wanted this song to be explosive, but with a fun dance pop element. I feel like my recipe for my music is that they will always have subtle dark lyrics and dark visuals, but the sound will be pulsating and contagious to dance to. Electronic pop music with dance elements was always the sound I felt safe in. It felt like it called to me every time in the studio. So when I wrote "ENEMY," I wanted my fans to feel it. I wanted them to feel the sound in their blood and the emotion in my vocals. The song sonically is supposed to take you through an internal battle between the person and the persona.

You mention trying to suppress your creativity in the past. What would you say to younger artists who are afraid to fully own who they are?

Yeah, I mean I really try to hide who I was for so many years....Like I felt this artist inside of me, but I always felt like I was running from it, or never truly understood why I was the way I was. I would get lost in my creativity to the point of isolation. It took me so many years to truly accept my pain, my creativity, and my inner demons to realize that it's just a part of me. My struggles are just pieces of the puzzle leading me through my journey. I think younger artists should show themselves grace and always be kind to their inner self...even if it feels daunting, turn it into something artistic.

If “ENEMY” had to soundtrack one moment in your life, whether real or imagined, what would that scene look like?

We planned to tell a beautiful story of how I created my artistry and persona, leading back to the days when I first started performing and making music. I think "ENEMY" is the soundtrack to my younger years of performing and fighting to be seen and heard. It's the battle and the release of the persona that I've created, my superhero, that makes me feel on stage and in front of the camera. The music video tells the story of a distraught patient riding the subway and being haunted by a fierce performer. I would ride the train in San Francisco, dreaming of being a pop star...so I wanted to create that full circle moment for my fans and for me to finally be at peace with who I am as an artist.