- Words Cleo Webster
A South London spiritual gem, with a path self-paved with gold Joy Crookes is one soul that can undoubtedly open your heart.
Aside from popping bottles of Cherry B and having deep conversations with her Uber driver, singer-songwriter Joy Crookes confirmed her path in the alternative R&B Soul scene by gracefully headlining the Jazz Cafe earlier this year.
Notoriously known for her stunning performance of “Mother May I Sleep with Danger” on A Colour’s Show back in December 2017, Joy has continued to elegantly blossom her musical petals as she has created an unwaveringly loyal amount of supporters since. From Bangladeshi and Irish descent, Joy’s dual identity has firmed its position at the core of her musical artistry, driving both her visuals and concepts. With two empowering EP’s “Influence” and “Reminiscence”, Joy carefully fuses hints of Irish poetry and Bangladeshi aesthetics to her personal works of art, platforming her as one of the sweetest soulful sounds of the year.
Through her deeply felt connection with music and performing, Joy delicately layers her genuinely soulful and quintessential vocals over traditional instrumental beds, allowing us to dive deeply into the depths of her heartfelt emotions. With visually stunning visuals, there is no doubt that Joy Crookes is our Internet Crush this week, so we grabbed the chance to dig deeper and discover our alternative butterfly even more…
Do you remember your dreams? Tell us about a recent dream you’ve had….
I dreamt that my partner was ignoring me and I woke up in a hump.
What is the closest you’ve ever come to death?
Writer’s block!
Tell us, what is your first memory of music?
Singing ‘Just A Little’ by Liberty X to my mum and dad in the front room using a back scrub as a cane and with a hole in my t-shirt trying to emulate that 90s look.
What’s your star sign? (and are you a typical *whatever your sign is*?)
Libra. No idea, i feel like whenever you read those ‘trait’ websites you can fit into any of them.
When was the first time you had your heart broken? (who by? how did it feel? what did you do?)
End of 2017. Ate a lot of shite and drank a lot. It hurt physically. I stayed in bed for a week and wrote lit songs.
Who was your first celebrity crush?
Lil Chris
Tell us one thing nobody / not many people know about you.
Everyone says I look way shorter online when they meet me. I’m 5’7.
What would your biography be called?
Crooksie.
What was the first song you ever wrote?
A song that stays deep in the memory bank – never to be let out.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given?
“Walk with purpose” or “if you don’t ask you don’t get
"Since I Left You" by Joy Crookes
What has been your biggest achievement?
My parents and sibling’s reactions to my most recent work.
Which fictional character do you most relate to and why?
Pocahontas. Because i’ve been called by her name for so long I guess I’ve just gotten used to it.
How was high school?
Posh – didn’t quite get to college. Some would call me a drop out.
Who is the most famous person in your DMs?
Maisie Williams or Brooklyn Beckham – both friends, don’t get that shit twisted.
Describe your own personal idea of hell…
Writer’s block.
What’s a lie you’ve told and what was the fall out?
I got tired of people asking me where I was from and some European dude asked me if I was Filipino so I said ‘yeh’ hoping that’d be the end of any more questions. 2 minutes later he then starts speaking the language to me and I looked absolutely baffled. Like I’d been hit by a slider!
Which super power would you most like to have, and why?
Teleporting because fuck TFL.
What is one album that totally changed your life?
To Pimp A Butterly by Kendrick Lamar.
When was the last time you cried and why?
Watching Queer eye. It’s beautiful seeing people get the TLC they deserve.
Where/what will you be doing at the end of the world?
At a Jam session literally wherever there’s amps.