Born and raised in Elephant and Castle, Joy Crookes musical journey has garnered Amy Winehouse and Lauryn Hill comparisons. The daughter of a Bengali mother and an Irish father, she grew up listening to an eclectic mix of genres – everything from Nick Cave, to King Tubby, Kendrick Lamar and Gregory Isaac and as a result she’s curious, passionate and music obsessed – traits that creep into her own creations at every opportunity. Joy’s universally appealing sound and knack for smart, modern storytelling and her candid, fearless attitude has seen grow ever amassing fanbase waiting avidly for her next move.
In April 2020, Crookes released her first single of 2020, “Anyone But Me”, which debuted atop the UK Asian Top 40. The song is about her battles with mental health. In September 2020, Crookes released a cover version of The Wannadies’ 1994 single “You & Me Song”, which was featured in an O2 TV advertisement, consequently entering both the UK Singles Downloads and the UK Singles Sales charts. Crookes released the single “Feet Don’t Fail Me Now” in June 2021, which became her third single to top the UK Asian Top 40 and is featured on the EASports video game FIFA 22. It served as the lead single from her debut album, Skin, which she revealed alongside the release of its title track in August 2021. Its third single, “When You Were Mine”, was released later that month and became her fourth-ever single to top the UK Asian Top 40. “Trouble” was released as the fourth single a few days before the release of Crookes’ debut studio album, Skin, on 15 October 2021.
She told BBC about the music she was exposed to whilst driving with her father to her Irish dancing lessons.
