South London’s own Joy Crookes has dropped her highly anticipated second album Juniper, marking the next chapter in one of the UK’s most distinctive new voices. The release comes hot on the heels of Crookes being named War Child’s newest ambassador and selling out a string of intimate in-store shows across the UK.
The focus track “Forever” arrives alongside a stunning live video recorded inside Do Ho Suh’s Walk The House exhibition at London’s Tate Modern. Joy will also curate Tate Late on 26 September, performing songs from Juniper in a fully immersive setting inspired by the imagery and fashion that influenced the record.
Speaking about “Forever,” Crookes explained, “Why does the word forever exist if loss is inevitable? Nothing can be forever. But I started to understand that living is not just being alive, it’s not only about existence. Living is legacy, it’s memories of people, it’s the influence you have on the world around you.”
Juniper expands on the success of her BRIT- and Mercury Prize-nominated debut Skin. Where Skin introduced her soulful, cinematic sound to the world, Juniper goes deeper, weaving stories of love, loss, identity, body politics and mental health into a bold and sonically rich collection. With features from Vince Staples and Kano, the album showcases Crookes’ fearless approach to blending genres while keeping her raw storytelling front and centre.
Tracklist – Juniper
Brave
Pass the Salt (feat. Vince Staples)
Carmen
Perfect Crime
Mathematics (feat. Kano)
House With A Pool
I Know You’d Kill
First Last Dance
Mother
Somebody To You
Forever
Paris
Joy will take Juniper on the road this autumn with a UK and EU headline tour, including a major show at London’s O2 Academy Brixton.
Born in Lambeth in 1998 to a Bangladeshi mother and Irish father, Joy Crookes grew up in Elephant & Castle surrounded by the sounds of soul, reggae, jazz and pop. She began uploading covers to YouTube at 13, taught herself guitar, piano and bass, and released her first single “New Manhattan” at 17.
Her early EPs, Influence (2017), Reminiscence (2019) and Perception (2019), gained her a loyal following and led to festival slots including Glastonbury and BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend. Her debut album Skin (2021) hit the UK Top 5 and earned nominations for the BRIT Awards and Mercury Prize, cementing her reputation as a fearless and original voice in modern British soul.
