His audience has also grown beyond his hometown. Joey’s music has received radio airplay in Japan, Spain, Italy, Brazil, and Australia, demonstrating the reach of an independent artist developing an international presence without losing his connection to Chicago. The city continues to rank among his top five listening locations across streaming platforms.

Released in 2026, playboy marks another step in that progression. Created in collaboration with Sanato and Sandro Carr, the project introduces two new listening experiences for longtime listeners and those discovering Joey P. for the first time. Its sound is more mature and evolved, yet it retains the expressive crooning that has helped define his music.

One early glimpse of the project came through “right there,” whose teaser generated more than 2,000 listens on its first day of release. The response offered an initial indication of the interest surrounding this new chapter, as Joey continues to expand his artistic identity within the underground scene.

Beyond the numbers and growing recognition, Joey’s own words offer a glimpse into the mindset behind his progress. “Life is good, I’m a version of myself I used to dream of,” he says, reflecting on the distance between who he once was and who he has become. His message is one of possibility: the belief that the life an artist imagines can eventually become real.

With playboy, Joey P. continues to develop a sound and identity that move beyond conventional R&B boundaries. His trajectory remains closely tied to experimentation, personal growth, and the independent scene that shaped him. For an artist whose music has increasingly traveled beyond Chicago, this new release represents not simply a return, but another step toward the future he once envisioned.