SOTW: “Hotel California” by Joji

February 10th, 2026 by Ellie Walsh

Here’s our second song of the week for the spring semester!

SOTW: “Hotel California” by Joji

Review by: Marley Lehmann ’28

Rating: 8/10

RIYL: The Japanese House, Sonder, Daniel Ceaser

Review:

Hotel California is the first full-length project that artist Joji has released under his independent label, Palace Creek. Joji has become very popular in the past following viral songs such as “SLOW DANCING IN THE DARK” and “Glimpse of Us” and is widely recognized for his emotional lyrics and tone.

Hotel California builds off that emotional feel and explores themes of longing and complexity within relationships. The softness of his voice along with the dreamy tempo of the music combines to produce the melancholic sound that Joji is known for.  The best way to describe the feeling of this song is that it reminds me of a late-night walk, where the streets are empty and there is a little bit of fog rolling in. Overall, I highly recommend that everyone listens to this song, especially if you love Joji’s past releases and songs by artists like Daniel Ceaser and Sonder.