Spiritual gem from south London brings her smooth R&B to Brussels

Joy Crookes makes music that reflects her multicultural background of Irish-Bengali origin. Although her sound is primarily coloured by soul, you can also hear influences of dub, synthpop, hip-hop and pop ballads from 2010s on her debut album Skin.

Crookes is praised for the political themes in her songs. Skin contains songs about gentrification, racism and misogyny. Despite the vintage vibe of her music, she inverts the classic soul tropes: where traditional Motown often sounds melancholy and heartbreaking, Crookes’ music captures a feeling of independence and power. Perfect for a generation in search of anthems to fend off anxiety and insecurity.

She broke through in 2017 after her viral COLORS show (Mother May I Sleep With Danger) and has been compared to greats like Amy Winehouse and Lauryn Hill ever since. Say no more. She heads to AB bearing a new album. Don't miss out!