Some albums feel like a time capsule and JOA’s debut EP, Previous Problems, is one of them. A beautiful, deeply personal collection of five tracks, the project captures the highs, lows, and in-betweens of adolescence with unfiltered honesty. The EP stands as a cathartic journey through love, heartbreak, anxiety, and self-discovery, all wrapped in JOA’s signature storytelling and ethereal pop production. JOA shares:
“I remember writing the words Previous Problems in my notebook as a reminder to face the difficult emotions I was going through. It was my way of taking back control—turning things that felt overwhelming into something tangible. Now, at 20, I’m ready to leave those struggles in the past.”
But before she moves on, JOA is giving listeners a glimpse into the moments that shaped her. Written between the ages of 16 and 19, each of the five songs tells a different story.
At the heart of the EP is its title track, “Previous Problems,” a bittersweet anthem about avoiding conflict in relationships. “We don’t care about letting go, man / Let’s forget our previous problems,” she sings over pulsing beats, embodying the youthful tendency to push issues aside rather than confront them. The repeated lyric, “Let’s forget about our previous problems,” echoes the tension between escapism and the inevitable reckoning that follows. It’s this kind of lyrical vulnerability, paired with an undeniable ear for melody, that makes JOA an artist to keep an eye on.
