Track By Track: Joel Christian Breaks Down Debut Album Dark Magic

LA-based electro-pop artist Joel Christian has reached listeners all over the world with the intoxicating dark fantasies he’s conjured from the deepest depths of his creative mind.

The rising star and new LGBTQ icon recently released his debut album Dark Magic, a collection through which Christian is sharing his personal story as a queer artist. Over the course of seven tracks, the album sees him refusing to let his greatest demons—including anxiety, loneliness, and self-hatred—control his life, instead acknowledging their role in shaping who he’s become and transforming them into a healing yet energetic dedication to growth and empowerment.

Christian broke down the album track by track exclusively for Musical Notes Global. Check out his thoughts below and listen to the full album after the jump.

1. “Dark Magic”

I wanted Dark Magic to be the beginning of our journey into the darkness. I had this vision of lying in the dark-empty, helpless, anxious, and inside my mind constantly. As I sat there, I heard a choir of angels almost guiding me into the light. It was if they were calling me to begin my journey of letting go and discovering the magic I had inside of me. Dark Magic is the genesis of my artistry.

2. “You Know What You Did”

This song is a continuation of the intro of Dark Magic. I wanted them to flow into each other so you're instantly hooked into the album. In the studio, I really wanted to take my vocals to the next level with this record. This song is about a dysfunctional relationship of always feeling guilty for loving someone while they are just playing games. Through out the track-my lyrics push the confusion of what is happening between us, the knowledge I have of this person's intentions, and the conclusion of me wanting to tell the world, "you know what you did, now I gotta go and tell them."

3. “Hell Raiser”

This song was written during our Covid-19 lockdown back in March. I was working on the music previously to the stay at home orders, but once those got into place-I went and bought a microphone and recorded this in my bedroom. Obviously, worked virtually with my producer, we wanted to make a song that would make people dance and feel confident. I spent most of my teenage years sneaking out and going to gay clubs and dancing my ass off. That's what I wanted this song to do. It was a release of my demons holding me back and just feeling good and safe on the dance floor. When I think of a Hell Raiser, I think of was someone who takes risks, has a bad ass energy and confidence to them, and owns their identity.

4. “Rise from the Grave”

This was my favorite song I've ever wrote. I remember so many nights, writing, fighting with my thoughts and anxiety of being an artist. There were so many times that I simply just wanted to give up, but that wasn't who I was. I've always been a fighter. I've been making music since I was 14 years old and this song hits me every time. This is my anthem of defeating my anxiety. I open the track singing, "Got chills down my spine, feel alone in the night, don't look into my eyes, you need to run for your life." This is my emotional expression of how anxiety makes me feel, and I'm over it, and it needs to go away before I rise from the grave. I needed this song to prove to myself that I will never be so buried so deep to the point of not getting up. I will always rise and I will always fight.

5. Gemini

Gemini begins with electronic guitars, sassy hooks, and futuristic vocoders to make the electronic sound come to life. I wrote this song while living in Los Angeles. During my social life out there, I ran into so many dark and twisted sexual relationships. I met several men who were curious about the chase of another man whether their sexuality was into it. It was a curiosity that was dark, mysterious, and so captivating to me that I began to chase it as well. Realistically, it's not directed at one person, but more of a fantasy about a secret love affair. That's the fun of writing, is that the Gemini's who know me personally think that it maybe about them...but they'll never know

6. "Take My Picture"

"Take my picture and make me feel like a superstar, I said, take my picture, before you go and break my heart" are the lyrics that open up this track I wrote. I was so trapped inside the culture of popularity, likes, followers and living in a social media nightmare within Los Angeles at the time. All of the fame, the surface level relationships, the competition, the glamour-all of it just got to me. While traveling the world, I kept hearing three words-"Take my picture," it was everywhere I went. I was living in a time where "self love" was more like "self obsession." I want the world to know I may not be as cool as the influencer you follow who has million of likes...but for damn sake, I'm going to be a superstar. Just wait and see.

7. “Rise from the Grave (Ice Bath Remix)"

I was alone one night manifesting on taking my favorite song off the album to the next level. I was putting it out into the universe that I wanted to remix Rise from the Grave, make it heavy but also mysterious within its sound...but nothing was attaching itself to me. Then one night I got an email from Ice Bath, with a remix to my song. To this day, I have no idea who it is. The mystery of it all really intrigues me.

Listen to Dark Magic below.