South London Songbird Joy Crookes Announces Debut Album “Skin”

Soulstress and songwriter Joy Crookes took to social media to unveil her long awaited debut album Skin, which will be released October 15th. Her first major project following the critically acclaimed Perception EP in 2019, Skin is a collection of songs she has been creating and nurturing from the age of 15 to her current adulthood. The album is executively produced by Crookes herself and Blue May, who has worked with Blood Orange and Kano among others.

“Skin is my debut album and the proudest work I have made to date. It is an auto biographical body of work covering subjects from casual sex to generational trauma, abuse of power, identity and mental health.”

Hailing from South London, but being of both Bangladeshi and Irish heritage, Crookes has always been surrounded by art and found herself tied intricately to music from her girlhood. Characterised by her pride in her Desi origins, poetic songwriting and husky tone akin to her early inspiration Amy Winehouse, Crookes has been nominated for a BRIT’s Rising Star award and played at Glastonbury. Her talent and charisma caught the eye of megastar Harry Styles, who she would have accompanied on his UK tour if not for the strike of COVID-19.

Skin is a compilation of Crookes’ life’s work, it is a project that will define her sound and refine her as an artist. Her music, despite having clear elements of neo-soul, soul, jazz and R&B, is relatively genre-fluid, showcased through the standout track and lead single of the album “Feet Don’t Fail Me Now” which Annie Mac premiered as her hottest record on BBC 1. The promotional music video for the song, directed by Taz Tron Delix, who has worked with the likes of Stormzy and Headie One, celebrates the aesthetics and diversity of London and showcases Bangladeshi culture.

“…we recorded pick up vocals all over the place, from a random hotel room in East London, through to a home studio in Clapton. London is in the DNA of this album.”

Also headlining the project is title track “Skin”, which Crookes describes as being “the song most important to me” and is dedicated to a loved one who lost his hope in life. The song, an ode to mental health and tough times, comes with the message that life is to be lived in, treasured and enjoyed, just like your skin.