Born Joakim Harestad Haukaas on March 2, 1992, Joki is a Norwegian musician from Vaulen, a suburb of Stavanger. Music was practically part of his family DNA: he grew up as the son of Norwegian artist duo Bente & Oli, and his home was filled with instruments. His mother has said that Joakim had been composing music from a young age, even though he didn’t attend a music-focused high school. As a child, Joakim wasn’t only interested in creating music — he was also a multi-instrumentalist and played drums in a marching band. He began writing his own melodies early, and by 2003, at just 11 years old, he had formed a duo called 2U with his friend Charlot Daysh. Together, they won Norway’s Melodi Grand Prix Junior, subsequently representing Norway at the inaugural Junior Eurovision Song Contest, where they finished 13th. Growing up in Stavanger also shaped the kind of music that would eventually become part of Joki’s identity. He has spoken about growing up with guitars, skateboarding and the pop, punk and alternative sounds of the 1990s and early 2000s. Years later, those childhood influences would resurface in the music he created as Joki — giving his sound that nostalgic, youthful energy that mixes pop, punk, electronic music and emo-inspired elements. Interestingly, his journey wasn’t a straight line from child performer to established artist. He spent years developing his musical abilities, studying music in Oslo and Berlin, while gradually moving deeper into songwriting and production. He eventually relocated to Sweden, where he continued building his life around music.
Four: Tequila libra
Released on June 7, 2024, “tequila libra” marked the beginning of Joki’s current journey as a solo electronic artist. Joki didn’t actually make “tequila libra” from scratch in isolation — the song’s Eurodance foundation was deliberately inspired by the sounds of the ’90s and 2000s. He has said that he enjoys combining different eras and genres because of the nostalgia certain sounds create. Commercially, the song has gone on to become one of Joki’s strongest solo streaming records. This track has garnered over 9.2M streams on Spotify and over 20K views on YouTube, making it his fourth-most-streamed track overall at the time of the latest available figures. While it did not become a major mainstream chart phenomenon, its importance to Joki’s catalogue is bigger than the numbers alone suggest: it established the sound and direction of the artist project that would go on to produce some of his biggest records. One of its most recognisable elements is its use of Stromae’s “Alors on danse”, taking the familiar melody and transforming it into a much heavier, more aggressive electronic setting. Contemporary coverage described it as a 150-BPM anthem built around driving rap vocals, heavy basslines and that instantly recognisable sample.
FYI
- Before Joki became Joki, Joakim was already a major behind-the-scenes hitmaker. He has songwriting and production credits connected to artists including Britney Spears, Zara Larsson, SEEB, Gabrielle and Julie Bergan, and his work had accumulated over one billion streams by the time he launched JOKI as an artist.
Three: Mission
Released on March 14, 2025, “Mission” is a collaboration between Ely Oaks, Joki and German singer-songwriter Enny-Mae, and at just 1 minute 58 seconds, the electronic/dance track wastes very little time getting to its central hook. The song is essentially about determination in pursuit of romantic interest: the narrator knows exactly who he wants and is determined to get closer to that person, repeatedly describing himself as being “on a mission” to find out what’s on their mind and make them his. What makes “Mission” particularly significant in Joki’s catalogue is the commercial momentum it developed after its release. The song garnered over 26.9M streams on Spotify and over 338K views on YouTube, making it one of Joki’s most-streamed songs and one of the standout records from his 2025 run. Its impact wasn’t limited to streaming numbers either. “Mission” entered the Global Dance Chart in April 2025 and eventually reached a peak position of No. 28, spending seven weeks on the chart. The track also reached No. 65 on Austria’s Apple Music Electronic Songs chart, where it spent five weeks. Perhaps one of its biggest recognitions came from Spotify itself, which placed “Mission” at No. 9 on its 2025 Global Impact List, a ranking highlighting music from Germany that achieved significant global impact that year.
Two: Golden Ticket (Runaway)
“Golden Ticket (runaway)” is Joki’s most recent solo single and it was released on July 17, 2026. Unlike the frenetic, high-BPM energy of “tequila libra,” this track takes Joki into deep house and lounge/chill-out territory, with a much slower 89 BPM tempo. The title “Golden Ticket (runaway)” immediately suggests the song’s central idea: escape, freedom and the desire to leave the ordinary behind in pursuit of something better. Commercially, “Golden Ticket (runaway)” has already made a noticeable start despite being a relatively new release. Spotify currently lists it among Joki’s top tracks, where it has garnered approximately 2.3M streams. The track has also received considerable playlist exposure through ChillYourMind’s ecosystem, appearing across several large public playlists focused on deep house, chill music, summer listening and road-trip music. Another interesting detail is that Joki is credited alone on the track, unlike several of his other major records where he appears alongside artists such as Thierry Von Der Warth, Mugisho, Ely Oaks or Enny-Mae.
Awards/Nominations
- Joki’s recognition began surprisingly early, with his first major win coming as an 11-year-old when he and his duo 2U won Melodi Grand Prix Junior in 2003, representing Norway at the inaugural Junior Eurovision.
- Years later, his songwriting career brought even bigger recognition: in 2013, he was part of the team behind Sweden’s “You”, which won the Marcel Bezençon Composer Award at Eurovision.
- He was later recognised for his work with artists including Gabrielle, Julie Bergan and Seeb, earning honours at the Musikkforleggerprisen and Spellemann Awards, including a 2016 Spellemann nomination for Producer of the Year.
Discography
Joki has yet to release a full-length studio album. His discography currently consists primarily of singles and shorter-form releases, including his 2021 mixtape titled Mixtape #1.
One: Mina Kupenda
Serving as Joki’s biggest hit to date, “Mina Kupenda” is a 2025 Afro-house collaboration with Thierry Von Der Warth and Mugisho, and its title translates from Swahili to “I love you.” Since its release on May 23, 2025, the track has gone on to become Joki’s most-streamed song, currently garnering over 33M streams on Spotify. The song is built around a warm, romantic declaration of affection, pairing its infectious vocals with an upbeat Afro-house production that gives it an effortlessly feel-good quality. Beyond its streaming success, “Mina Kupenda” has also become one of the defining records of Joki’s catalogue, demonstrating his ability to move beyond the high-energy electronic sound associated with some of his earlier releases and embrace the increasingly global sound of Afro-house. The song’s success is particularly notable because Joki shares the record with established collaborators Thierry Von Der Warth and Mugisho, while still maintaining a strong presence as both a performer and songwriter. Its continued daily streaming numbers also show that the song has maintained strong listener interest well beyond its initial release.