Joy Crookes

With an incredibly soulful voice, intimate and heartfelt lyrics, Joy Crookes is fully living up to her first name. Each track is so full of life and authenticity, even when the subject matter is focused on more serious matters, there’s an undeniable joy in her music. The joy springs from an assurance of identity, a confidence that Crookes both has and sings about, that even through the worst, darkest, hardest times, there is peace to be found within yourself. Crookes is the rare talent in which the genre services their inner voice. Not solely just a vehicle, the R&B, soul, gospel, and hip-hop influences coalesce seamlessly, but with Crookes’ fully in control. The music drapes elegantly over her lyrics and melodies, like a perfectly fitting silk robe, fitting and elevating the shape of your soul.

This week, we’re featuring “Trouble” from her 2021 debut album, Skin. Featuring a New Orleans second-line inspired tuba/bass line and just a tinge of reggae feel, “Trouble” is an energetic, fun track where Crookes acrobatic vocals are on full display. Moments of powerful, soulful melodies intertwine effortlessly with the delicate, ethereal harmonies and background vocals. Lyrically, Crookes captures the essence of wanting something or someone that isn’t always the best for you in a truly deft manner, equally poetic and direct.