Joy Crookes
Smoky, jazz-inflected soul that feels like a warm embrace. Cinematic strings and South London stories for when you need music that is both timeless and deeply personal.
Smoky, jazz-inflected soul that feels like a warm embrace. Cinematic strings and South London stories for when you need music that is both timeless and deeply personal.
Joy Crookes crafts a sound that feels like a bridge between the classic soul era and the vibrant, multicultural reality of modern London. Her voice is a rich, smoky alto that carries the weight of a much older soul, yet her lyrics are sharply contemporary, dealing with the nuances of identity, heritage, and self-reliance. The music is often anchored by warm, analog production, featuring live instrumentation that gives every track a tactile, breathing quality.
What truly sets her apart is her ability to weave her Bangladeshi and Irish heritage into the fabric of neo-soul. You can hear the influence of jazz greats and reggae legends filtered through a lens of South London grit. Her arrangements are frequently cinematic, utilizing sweeping strings and jazz-inflected guitar work to elevate intimate stories into grand, emotional statements. It is music that feels lived-in, honest, and meticulously arranged.
Start with her debut album, Skin. It is a masterclass in modern soul songwriting that showcases her range from stripped-back piano ballads to lush, orchestral anthems. It is the perfect entry point for anyone who appreciates the storytelling of Amy Winehouse but wants something that reflects the specific, diverse pulse of the 2020s.
Joy Elizabeth Akther Crookes (born 9 October 1998) is a British singer-songwriter. She incorporates details about relationships, self-reliance, her culture, her South London roots, and her identity in her music. Crookes has released three extended plays since 2017 and was nominated for the Rising Star Award at the 2020 Brit Awards. Her debut studio album, Skin, was released in October 2021 to wide critical acclaim and reached the top five in the UK.
Shares alto, neo-soul, empowering, soulful (signature)
Shares neo-soul, jazz fusion, empowering, coffee shop (subgenre)
Shares cinematic string swells, orchestral arrangement, neo-soul, empowering (detail)
Shares jazz-inflected guitar licks, neo-soul, jazz fusion, coffee shop (detail)
Shares identity, neo-soul, empowering, soulful (signature)
Shares alto, neo-soul, soulful, chamber pop (signature)
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