FEATURE:
Revisiting...
Joy Oladokun - in defense of my own happiness (vol. 1)
___________
I am recommending people…
look back at a great album that was followed up pretty quickly. This feature is designed to highlight albums that got buzz when they were released but need to be picked up now. Today, I am looking at Joy Oladokun’s in defense of my own happiness (vol. 1) from last year. Also known as in defense of my own happiness (the beginnings), she followed it with in defense of my own happiness earlier this year. In a way, they are accompanying albums. I wanted to look at a gem from 2020. Before I get to interviews around that album and a review, I actually want to slide in biography concerning the incredible Arizona-born singer-songwriter – whose music spans the genres of Folk, R&B, Rock, and Pop; she is influenced by her identity as a Queer woman of color:
“with a guitar in hand, baseball cap over her eyes, and hooded sweatshirt loose, a woman sings with all of the poetry, pain, passion, and power her soul can muster. she is a new kind of american troubadour. she is joy oladokun. the delaware-born, arizona-raised, and nashville-based nigerian-american singer, songwriter, and producer projects unfiltered spirit over stark piano and delicate guitar. after attracting acclaim from vogue, npr, and american songwriter, her words arrive at a time right when we need them the most.
“words are such a powerful tool,” she states. “i remember all of the best and worst things anyone has ever said to me. i love and respect the ability of words to touch on the physical realm. i’m very intentional with my words. i’m grateful and try to be as encouraging as i can, because i’ve been in situations where that has not been the case and it’s hurt me or others. people are traumatized by words or uplifted and encouraged to change their lives and careers by them.”
the daughter of nigerian immigrants, she was the first in the family to be born in america. after some time in delaware, they moved to arizona. dad’s record collection included hundreds of titles, and he introduced joy to everyone from phil collins, peter gabriel, and king sunny adé to conway twitty and johnny cash. as mom and dad stressed academics, she wasn’t allowed to watch tv on weekdays. on saturday, they would “either rent a movie from blockbuster or watch the thousands of hours of concert and music video footage dad had recorded since coming to the states.” one afternoon, she witnessed tracy chapman pay homage to nelson mandela during his 70th birthday tribute at wembley arena.
it changed everything…
“i grew up in casa grande, which is in the middle of nowhere in arizona,” she goes on. “i was surrounded by images of white dudes with guitars. i was programmed to believe people around me listened if somebody had a guitar. as a shy kid and one of the only black children in town, i had a lot of social anxiety. seeing tracy chapman up there with a guitar in front of a full stadium was such an empowering moment. i ran into the next room and begged my parents to buy me a guitar for christmas—which was six months away,” she laughs.
with her new christmas gift, she went from crafting her first song about the lord of the rings to penning songs dedicated to her mother after rough days at work. eventually, the local church needed a guitar player, and she ended up working there full-time for almost six years.
after college in orange county, she relocated to los angeles where writing became a job…and she finally came out. “i quit the church and came out of the closet,” she recalls. “i got to a point where i was like, ‘if god exists, he does not care that i’m gay. with all of the things happening, he cannot give a shit’. i feel like it’s not an accident i’m a queer black woman writing and making music.”
she wrote and recorded countless songs alone in her los angeles apartment, even playing six instruments. her music and story galvanized a growing fan base as she completed a successful kickstarter campaign to release her independent debut, carry. her song “no turning back” soundtracked a viral baby announcement by ciara and russell wilson, opening up the floodgates. she landed a string of high-profile syncs, including nbc’s this is us, abc’s grey’s anatomy, and showtime’s the l word: generation q. around the same time, she settled in nashville, tn and continued to create at a feverish pace. on the heels of in defense of my own happiness (the beginnings), she garnered unanimous critical praise. billboard touted the album as one of the “top 10 best lgbtq albums of 2020,” while npr included “i see america" among the “100 best songs of 2020.” predicted as on the verge of a massive breakthrough, she emerged on various tastemaker lists, including spotify’s radar artists to watch 2021, youtube “black voices class of 2021,” npr’s 2021 “artists to watch,” and amazon music’s “artist to watch 2021.” not to mention, vogue crowned her #1 “lbtq+ musician to listen to.” she kicked off the new year by making her television debut on nbc’s the tonight show starring jimmy fallon with a stunning and stirring performance of “breathe again”.
The second album from Oladokun (following 2016’s Carry), in defense of my own happiness (vol. 1) is a perfect introduction to her talents and powerful lyrical voice. Nashville Scene spoke with her back in March. Not content with having released an album the previous year, the stream of songs that followed signalled the fact another album was on its way:
“Releasing the widely praised, banger-packed full-length In Defense of My own Happiness (Vol. 1) over the summer just wasn’t enough of an accomplishment for Joy Oladokun, apparently. For the past several months, the folk-pop singer-songwriter has continued to produce a steady stream of new songs from her East Nashville home studio. Each one is its own timely and eloquent response to the upheaval that has plagued us all over the past year.
In September, for those struggling with the grief and isolation brought on by the pandemic, Oladokun released the encouraging R&B tune “If You Got a Problem.” It’s an optimistic number about comforting and finding comfort in those around you. Think of a less cartoony version of Randy Newman’s “You’ve Got a Friend in Me.” In October, to recognize her fellow Black Americans living in fear as the country’s streets churned with protests and police brutality, Oladokun shared “I See America,” an incisive anthem with a stirring chorus: “When I see you / I see love / I see America / I feel your pain / I share your blood / I see America.”
“Look Up,” released in November, is a poignant reminder that, as the singer wrote on Instagram, “There is freedom above us and beauty within us.” December brought us “Mighty Die Young,” a sparkling piano ballad haunted with the inevitability of death. Song after song, with every tortuous and unpredictable turn of what we will forever remember as the Lost Year, Oladokun was there offering comfort.
“It’s the Nina Simone quote, right?” Oladokun tells the Scene by phone from her Nashville home. “Like, artists are supposed to reflect the past. And if Nina had Ableton, had my laptop, had the little setup I have here, we would’ve been hearing from her all the time.
“And a fair record contract,” Oladokun continues with a laugh. “If she had all those things we would’ve been hearing from her all the time. And I think the reason I am at my current state of outputting so much is just because there’s a lot happening! Internally I’m doing a lot of work, and the world is changing, and fighting for change.”
The world is also starting to take notice of Oladokun. Though she’s been at it for years — she signed a publishing deal with L.A.’s Prescription Songs in 2016 — Oladokun has had something of a meteoric rise in recent months. In January she announced she was chosen as one of YouTube Music’s Black Voices for 2021, which earned her face a spot on a giant Times Square billboard. Her somber ballad “Breathe Again,” in which her warm, sweeping vocal range is on full display, was played for millions of viewers during a January episode of the popular NBC drama This Is Us. She made her daytime and late-night TV debuts too, appearing on Today and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in February
PHOTO CREDIT: Shannon Beveridge
Making her new level of success even more enjoyable to watch is the fact that Oldaokun balances her talent and vulnerability with goofy humor and BFF vibes. On social media she discusses Boyz II Men jams with Jason Isbell, posts photos of her dog Joni, dunks on controversy magnet Morgan Wallen and shares selfies taken with well-rolled blunts — a hobby she has celebrated with a line of “sensitive stoner” merchandise.
“I think sometimes we get scared that if people learn more about us they won’t want to be around us,” she says. “My life in its current state is proof that the opposite is true. On Vol. 2 [of In Defense of My Own Happiness, scheduled for release later this year], there’s a song about my dad and what it was like to grow up with a dad that openly disliked queer people. That is vulnerable, but I also know that I am not the only person who has a dad who would say things about gay people that were awful, not realizing that their kid was gay.
“I do feel like a sense of calling and camaraderie for people who have also been through similar things or had events that evoke similar emotions of loneliness and stress,” she adds. “I feel a responsibility to serve the global community in that way. I think it has been really, really beautiful”.
I am ending with a review for in defense of my own happiness (vol. 1). Just before I get there, here are parts of an interview that Atwood Magazine conducted in July 2020. Oladokun talked about some of the new influences she brought to the album:
“Since her 2016 folk-tinged debut, Carry Me, Oladokun has released a string of singles over the past few years. From the soulfully groovy break-up bop “Sober,” to the piano-led plea “Who Do I Turn To?,” about what it’s like to be Black and queer in today’s America, Oladokun has a knack for marrying the personal and relatable in her writing. And in defense of my own happiness (vol. 1) is no different, showcasing Oladokun’s token lyricism in a beautiful expression of self-examination steeped in the best of folk, soul, and hip-hop.
ATWOOD MAGAZINE: IN DEFENSE OF MY OWN HAPPINESS (VOL. 1) IS YOUR FIRST FULL ALBUM SINCE 2016’S CARRY ME. WERE THERE ANY BIG DIFFERENCES—WRITING-WISE OR LIFE-WISE—IN THE PROCESS OF THIS RECORD COMING TO LIFE?
Joy Oladokun: Yeah, it’s actually been a pretty big difference. Everything on Carry Me I wrote by myself and then sort of like hired a band to produce. Even though on in defense of my own happiness I did sort of take a production role, it’s a lot more collaborative. Like I wrote songs with other people, and I think it shows how expansive my sound has gotten. Not necessarily in terms of size or scale or anything, but just the influences that I draw from. I think it’s just grown tenfold since the last album. So I’m really excited for people to see what I’m into.
YEAH, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY SOME OF THOSE NEWER INFLUENCES ARE?
Joy Oladokun: I’ve always obviously drawn from folk and soul, and definitely like the 60s and 70s era. And with this record, I tried to keep that same energy, with that same lyricism and that same kind of urgency. But like, I work out to hip-hop music, and I’m sure a lot of people work out to hip-hop music; it’s become this cultural figure. So I just kind of let that influence what I [brought] in. I was sort of referencing everything that I have access to as a product of the generation that I grew up in and really clung to the things that I enjoy and just [threw] it all in there.
SO, YOU’RE FROM A SMALL TOWN IN ARIZONA, WHICH I’M SURE WAS QUITE DIFFERENT FROM LIVING IN L.A., AND NOW NASHVILLE. GROWING UP, DID YOU DREAM ABOUT PLAYING MUSIC AND LIVING IN A BIGGER CITY?
Joy Oladokun: I don’t know that I had a lot of dreams about growing up and playing music. I think I’ve always gravitated towards music as a means of self-expression, and any sharing it beyond that has been the product of some very special people in my life who said, “This is not just a thing that you can do for you, but also a good thing that you can do to help uplift other people.” And so, I don’t know that I had any crazy aspirations which I’m sure drives my team crazy at certain points.
But, yeah I think the nature of growing up with immigrant parents is that they were very clear as soon as I was old enough to get out, that I should. We traveled a lot growing up, and so I think it was kind of ingrained in me that when I go to college, I should try a different city or a different country, or I should take this trip. I’ve always had a little bit of wanderlust maybe, and I think it was instilled in me by my sweet parents.
SO, RELEASING MUSIC IN THE MIDST OF A PANDEMIC IS OBVIOUSLY A NEW EXPERIENCE FOR EVERYONE. DO YOU HAVE ANY SPECIFIC PLANS REGARDING THE RELEASE OF IN DEFENSE OF MY OWN HAPPINESS (VOL. 1)?
Joy Oladokun: Yeah, not anything crazy. I think the gift of me being the way I am, is that my manager knows that if I have my Nintendo and maybe a joint nearby, I will do any live stream, or video, or interview, and I think we’ve just been capitalizing on that. It’s been nice to just sit in the backyard and hop on a phone call and talk to people about my music. I feel like the biggest thing that I’ve enjoyed about having to sort of shift the game plan from touring around the release to sort of just being obnoxious on the internet about a release [laughs] is I feel like it opens people up to the many sides of me. Like it gives people a bigger picture of who I am not only as an artist but as a human.
Besides that, nothing really has changed. We’re in a really unique position. I mean the crazy thing about “Who Do I Turn To?” was that it was written and released within a week. I’m in this position as an artist where I can just release what I want when I want, and I think these next few albums are just going to be a celebration of that. And so that’s why we’re putting out like 12 singles a day. It’s a unique freedom and one we don’t take for granted”.
The review below is from The Line of Best Fit. in defense of my own happiness (vol. 1). Is a magnificent album that people should check out if they missed it last year. It was the first time that I had heard of Joy Oladokun. Here is what The Line of Best Fit wrote about one of last year’s best albums:
“Following a string of accolades, the Nashville based singer songwriter has been making waves providing an honest and sincere voice to global listeners in times of uncertainty.
Using the time spent in isolation, Oladokun has revealed a striking new collection of songs. Her second album project renders positive vibes, hope and sincerity. Soothing, earthy and astute, this vibrant, but polished production represents currency and relevance. Having theorised on happiness and what it constitutes, before she knew it considerations on her own happiness began, and it made sense to consider if she thought of herself as being happy, and whether anything prevented her from experiencing it.
Take the bright, pure simplicity and upbeat rhythms of opening track “Smoke”. This is followed by the encounter between electro-pop and rockier vibes that makes “Sunday” stand out. With immense eclecticism it depicts the spirit of this record, smoothly looking to the next track. The honest, reflective mood of “Bad Blood” is a moment of sharp insight and introspection. A place where the sound of Tracy Chapman-like guitar lines, vocals and contemplative lyrics come together, “Precious like a diamond ring / I was wrapped up in you / You tore me like a paper thing / Stole my love and my youth”, the songwriter insists.
Equally impressive is a moment like “Lost”, just before the dramatic, political “Who Do I Turn To”. Written and realised in one week, it is an engaged response to the recent Black Lives Matter movement. Inspired by the police killing of George Floyd, it came out as a single, with proceeds going to Nashville Launch Pad. Despite its tranquil piano accompaniment and acute classic feel, the song is charged in message, tackling inner uncertainty, feelings of insecurity and the fear of being without support when no one is looking out for you.
Then “Mercy” featuring Tim Gent lifts the air with a display of pop sensibility and hip hop fusion. Piano and strings-led, “Breathe Again” bears a resemblance to Coldplay, contrary to the folky, more sensitive “Too High”, which starts with an intro that brings to mind The Beatles’ “Blackbird”.
The candour of this record is rare, and its captivation makes it a stand-alone moment of truth and emotion”.
Go and spin in defense of my own happiness (vol. 1). I am not sure how easy it is to buy a couple. Definitely stream the album and see why it was one of the most lauded of 2020. I am following Joy Oladokun to see where she goes next. Her music always leaves an impression. I listened back to her album from this year, and her 2016 debut, Comfort. With everything she does, she draws the listener in. in defense of my own happiness (vol. 1) is a perfect example of that power and pull. It is an album that I would recommend…
TO everyone.