FEATURE: Spotlight: Joy Crookes — Music Musings & Such

FEATURE:

Spotlight

PHOTO CREDIT: Frank Fieber

Joy Crookes

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A few days back…

I reviewed a track from the BBC’s Sound of 2020 winner, Celeste. Now, I am spotlighting the fourth-placed artist on the list: the incredible Joy Crookes. This year’s shortlisted and celebrated Sound of 2020 rundown is brimming with talent and promise. Although, vocally, both Celeste and Joy Crookes have been compared with Amy Winehouse, the two are very different artists. Born in 1998, Crookes is a Neo Soul singer of Bangladeshi-Irish heritage. Even though Crookes has only been releasing music for a few years, she has put out three E.P.s since 2017 – pretty prolific when you consider other work rate of many artists out there. Crookes was nominated for the Rising Star Award at the 2020 Brit Awards, and one can find her name on most of the ‘ones to watch’ articles that herald the artists that will define 2020. Growing up in Elephant and Castle, London, Crookes attended Jazz and Blues workshops as a child. That sparked her interest in music and, at the age of thirteen, she was posting covers of Laura Marling songs to YouTube – she already is making me feel very old! Crookes, like so many incredible artists, taught herself to play a variety of instruments – including piano, guitar and the bass. I have nothing against mainstream Pop artists, but if one wants to find credibility, proper musical talent and skill, they need to look at artists like Joy Crookes. She may not command the same Twitter numbers (not yet) as big stars, but her music seems much more personal and purer – free as it is from a host of writers and producers.

Britain has produced some great R&B and Neo Soul artists over the past few years, including Jorja Smith. Crookes is another fine talent who has years ahead of her. In April of 2013, a cover of Ray Charles’ Hit the Road Jack was uploaded to YouTube; Crookes’ rendition won her huge praise and, as it happens, her current manager! I will bring in an interview she gave to Vogue fairly recently in a bit but, when we think about the rise and talent of Joy Crookes, it is hard to take in just how much she has done in a short time! Her debut E.P., Influence, came out in July 2017 and, from there, things got properly busy. More and more people were turning on to her music and wanted to know about the young woman behind the songs. One of my favourite Crooks songs, Don’t Let Me Down, was released in November 2018 and was followed by another E.P., Reminiscence, in January 2019. That E.P. gained a smattering of impressed reviews, showing that we were definitely witnessing something special. In this review, we learn about some of Crookes’ influences:

“Crookes has previously listed some her influences, which range from Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp a Butterfly to Frank Sinatra, both of which are apparent on the second track Man’s World. A classical jazz piano leads the melody whilst tuneful rap speaks of female empowerment through rebelling expectations of women in relationships.

The only single that was previously released on the EP is Don’t Let Me Down. After being released in November last year, the music video was premiered by i-D magazine and quickly reinforced the comparisons of Crookes to Amy Winehouse. The single, that is still classed as a demo, is a simple yet passionate song that consists only of Crookes and her guitar, making the track feel more intimate than the other more structured songs.

Because of the timeless soulful voice of Crookes, it’s easy to forget that this is only her second ever release, after she released her first EP Influence last year. Yet, compared to the first EP, it is evident that Crookes is beginning to experiment more with electronic production, more synth melodies are seen in tracks such as For a Minute which seems less like R&B and hints more at the bedroom pop genre.

Joy Crookes is an artist who injects her heritage, upbringing and identity into her work. The personal element gives her music a more intimate and modern feeling and Crookes being picked up by DJs such as Clara Amfo, with such a limited discography, should entice any new listener to her soulful music”.

The E.P. is great, as there is a confident mixture of distinct tracks that do not stand still. Crookes navigates through various genres but keeps her identity and focus intact. After the success and building attention, Crookes released the E.P., Perception, in May 2019. Before that, the singles Since I Left You and London Mine arrived; each gained a lot of positive feedback and big reviews. – the latter song is a celebration of migrants and London’s fabric. Given the success and quality of her music, Crookes was performing at more and more events and festivals. She appeared on the Introducing Stage at the BBC Radio 1 Big Weekend. Crookes also appeared at Glastonbury last year – taking her music to a whole new world and loads of new fans.

PHOTO CREDIT: Chris Almeida for The Line of Best Fit

One suspects Crookes will be back at Glastonbury this year, and she will have a new album under her belt. She has said that she wants to bring an album out before May so, with a new honour under her belt, so many people will be looking in her direction in the coming weeks. Crookes has a gorgeous and effecting voice, and she matches that with songs that look at gentrification, social injustice and racism. She is part of a wave of artists who is bringing big themes to life. In terms of artists who have motivated her, The Pogues, Sinéad O’Connor and Marvin Gaye are three of many who run through her veins. I said I would source an interview Crookes gave to Vogue. In March last year, she was asked about her heritage and artistry:

“From Bangladeshi and Irish descent, Joy's dual identity is at the centre of her artistry and what drives both her music and visuals.

“It just makes me, doesn’t it? My dual identity reflects more about me as an artist. I grew up with so many different cultures and influences around me, but it’s not as if I play the fiddle and sitar in my songs. Irish people have a real way with words, we have incredible writers like Oscar Wilde, Paddy Kavanagh, Van Morrison. Then Bangladeshi culture is different – the way we style our hair, the way we present ourselves, our mannerisms. Sure, it would be easy for me to do lots of Indian scales – they do after all, influence jazz – but I’m more about my lyrics.”

Joy Crookes, the 20-year-old singer-songwriter from South London, is undoubtedly one of the most exciting artists to emerge in the music scene this year. Her voice is gentle, yet husky, her music is as elegant as a classic jazz track”.

While, at 20, Joy has impressed many with her unapologetic songwriting that is beyond her years and yet, one of her main goals before turning 21, she told Miss Vogue, is “to become a more confident and eloquent writer – going from lyricist to poet.”

Many have compared her to legendary artists, Amy Winehouse and Lauryn Hill. Though, Joy is wary of such comparisons, explaining, “it’s the highest compliment to be compared to them both, but I think it's dangerous territory – particularly for female artists because we’re so easily boxed. I just want to do my own thing.”

I am going to wrap things up soon but, as I have not brought in any gig reviews, I thought I would mention one Bristol Post published in November. Crookes is playing Oslo in Hackney in March, so go and see her if you can. She is a fantastic live performer:

“With a string of top releases, the latest of which recently made its way onto Radio 1’s playlist, Joy Crookes is being tipped as one of the UK’s most exciting rising stars.

After a busy summer playing major festivals including Glastonbury, Latitude and Radio 1’s Big Weekend, the 20-year-old is currently in the midst of her first UK tour, which included a stop at Bristol’s Rough Trade on Friday night.

The husky, powerful vocals possessed by the precocious talent are reminiscent of those which saw Amy Winehouse rise to fame, particularly on soulful track Don’t Let Me Down, and she was at her best on Friday when her voice was allowed to flourish on its own without the distraction of backing instruments - although that’s not to say her band weren’t impressive.

It’s clear that the Londoner has already developed a solid following despite being in the embryonic stages of her career, as swathes of the exuberant crowd sang along to the catchy chorus of opener Hurts, a song upbeat in style but one in which she discusses drifting apart from a close friend.

She told us about her love of Massive Attack’s Unfinished Sympathy, which she was listening to as she wrote London Mine, adding how she wishes she had written it, and admitted to us that she finds encores “so wet” before finishing with Too Late - the track currently and rightly receiving airtime on Radio 1 - prompting another mass singalong.

Such was the quality of the performance, some members of the crowd tried to twist her arm into performing an encore, despite her voicing her dislike of them. Sadly she stood firm in her viewpoint and was in the adjacent record store signing merchandise for fans before you could say "one more tune".

Crookes is an entrancing performer with an entrancing voice and there’s a reason she’s being tipped as a future star by many. The next time she plays in Bristol it will be at a much bigger venue, and you should seriously consider buying a ticket”.

Last year was a fairly busy one for Crookes, but this one is going to be her most packed and itinerant. Venues around the world will want to host Crookes, and there is the business of her debut album. After the BBC announced Crookes as one of their artists to watch this year, that momentum will make a difference. There are a lot of great artists you need to get involved with this year, and Crookes is among the very best. She is, quite simply, an…