CCR QUESTIONS

 Q1. How does your product represent social groups or issues?

Ans,            Joji’s Sanctuary may not directly tackle political or social issues, but it still reflects important emotional realities that many people, especially younger generations, face today. The song explores feelings of emotional distance, vulnerability, and the longing for genuine connection. The lyrics describe someone being a “sanctuary” a safe space and source of comfort which highlights the artist’s desire to escape loneliness and find emotional peace. This resonates strongly with listeners who may be dealing with mental health struggles, stress, or the constant feeling of being disconnected in an increasingly digital world. Even though we’re more connected online than ever before, a lot of people still feel isolated and unheard. Sanctuary captures that complex mix of longing, detachment, and emotional uncertainty in a way that feels deeply honest and personal. The soft, ambient production adds to the dreamlike quality of the song, creating a space where the listener can sit with their emotions quietly and without judgment. It's not aggressive or dramatic it’s introspective, calm, and real, which is why so many people relate to it on a personal level.

Beyond the emotional tone, Sanctuary also holds cultural significance through Joji’s identity and how he presents himself as an artist. As an Asian-Australian artist who’s gained major popularity in Western pop and R&B, Joji challenges traditional norms about who gets to be heard in mainstream music. His presence alone represents progress in breaking down racial and cultural barriers in the industry, especially for Asian male artists who have historically been underrepresented. Additionally, he challenges outdated expectations of masculinity by being openly vulnerable in his music. Instead of hiding his emotions, Joji expresses them directly, singing about his need for love, safety, and connection. This helps shift the long-standing idea that men should always be emotionally strong or detached. In Sanctuary, he redefines that by showing strength through emotional honesty and softness. For listeners especially young men who may feel pressure to suppress their feelings this is refreshing, powerful, and even comforting. So even though Sanctuary comes across as a simple love song on the surface, it actually reflects much deeper social themes: the changing nature of masculinity, the importance of mental health awareness, and the growing visibility of underrepresented voices in popular music today.

Q2. How do the elements of your production work together to create a sense of 'branding'?

Ans.          The elements of my production work together to create a strong and consistent sense of branding by focusing on the emotional themes of sadness, loneliness, and isolation. These feelings are clearly communicated through the album cover, CD cover, and our social media account. Each part of the production was carefully thought out to reflect the same mood and message, which helps build a recognizable identity that the audience can connect with and emotionally respond to. The branding isn’t just about how things look it’s about the emotional experience we create for the audience. That experience is built on the idea that the main character feels alone, lost, and unable to express his emotions to anyone, making the visuals and tone feel personal and meaningful.

Visually, the branding is made very clear through the CD and album covers. In both, the character is shown completely alone, surrounded by empty space. His facial expression and body language show that he’s sad, distant, and emotionally shut off. There are no other people around him, which visually reinforces the idea that he has no one to turn to. The color scheme is also dark and muted, which adds to the overall mood of sadness and emotional weight. This consistent visual style helps strengthen the branding and gives the audience an immediate sense of what the production is about.

Our social media account continues this theme to keep the branding strong across all platforms. Every post is designed to match the emotional tone of the rest of the production, using similar colors, imagery, and captions that reflect the feeling of isolation. We kept the posts minimal and reflective, allowing the audience to focus on the emotional story we were telling. By keeping everything tied to the central idea of being emotionally lost and alone, we were able to create a clear and memorable brand that feels honest, relatable, and emotionally impactful.

Q3. How does your project engage with the Audience?

Ans.         My project engages with the audience by creating a deep emotional connection through the consistent theme of sadness, loneliness, and vulnerability. These emotions are something many people, especially younger audiences, experience but don’t always talk about openly. By making these feelings the focus of the project, we invite the audience to not just watch or listen but to feel. The visual elements, like the album cover and CD cover, show a character who is clearly alone, with no one around him and no way to express what he’s feeling. This makes the audience reflect on their own experiences of isolation or emotional struggle, allowing them to relate to the character on a personal level.

The artists influence plays a huge role in how our project connects with people. He is known for not hiding his emotions and for being honest in his music about things like heartbreak, depression, and emotional confusion. That openness inspired the tone of our project. Like the artist, we chose not to mask the sadness with flashy visuals or upbeat energy. Instead, we leaned into the raw emotions, creating a more genuine and honest portrayal. This helps the audience trust the project because it doesn’t feel fake or forced, it feels real, just like the artists music.

Our social media account also plays a big part in engaging the audience. Every post is designed to match the emotional tone of the project minimal, moody, and reflective. Instead of overly edited or busy visuals, we kept everything simple to let the feelings speak louder. The captions were short but meaningful, and the imagery remained focused on the theme of being emotionally lost and alone. This helped create a consistent online presence that the audience could follow and feel connected to.

Overall, our project engages the audience by making them feel seen and understood. Through the visuals, music influence, and emotional tone, we speak directly to those who have ever felt like they didn’t have anyone to turn to. By not hiding behind flashy production or pretending everything is fine, we connect in a more real and honest way just like Joji does. That honesty becomes our strongest way of reaching people and making the project meaningful to them.

Q4. How did your research inform your products and the way they use or challenge conventions?

Ans.        My research was key in shaping my final products and helped me understand how to both use and challenge media conventions. Studying Joji, an artist known for expressing raw emotions like sadness and loneliness without hiding behind flashy visuals, really inspired me. His honest, stripped-back style led me to focus on emotional realism in my own work. Rather than following typical conventions of showing a confident or idealized artist, I chose to portray someone visibly struggling, which shaped the visuals, branding, and overall message of my project.

Traditional music branding in mainstream pop and R&B often features bright colors, glamorous looks, group scenes, and high energy, presenting the artist as confident and in control. However, my research on Joji and similar artists showed how powerful the opposite approach can be. Joji’s branding uses minimalism, muted tones, and emotional vulnerability he's often shown alone, surrounded by empty space. This inspired me to challenge traditional conventions in my own work by making loneliness and sadness the central focus of my character’s visual story.

In my project, the album and CD covers both reflect this alternative style. The main character is completely alone, with no distractions or background characters. The color palette is dark and muted, and the body language is closed-off and distant. His facial expression doesn’t hide what he’s feeling he looks lost, quiet, and emotionally overwhelmed. This goes against the common expectation of the artist appearing strong or happy, and instead creates a sense of realism that the audience can relate to. I wanted viewers to feel something when they saw it, just like how Joji’s visuals and music often make people stop and reflect.

My research also taught me how important it is to have a consistent emotional tone across all platforms. Joji does this really well through his album artwork, music videos, and social media, which all carry the same mood and style. I applied this idea by making sure the social media account for the project matched the same emotional themes. The posts were quiet and reflective, using short captions, consistent colour schemes, and still images that supported the branding. This helped create a solid identity that the audience could connect with across different formats.

Finally, one of the biggest ways my project challenges conventions is through its portrayal of masculinity and emotional expression. A lot of male artists are expected to hide vulnerability, but Joji’s open emotional style gave me the confidence to do the opposite. I chose to portray a male character who isn’t emotionally strong, but rather visibly broken and alone. In doing so, my project reflects a growing shift in media where expressing mental health and emotional honesty is becoming more accepted and powerful.