Words: Poppy Jarvis
I’ve always been a Joy Crookes fan, so heading to see her in Brixton, her hometown, already feels special before the show even begins. I meet a friend I haven’t seen in ages in Brixton Village beforehand, and over wine we end up talking about recent antiques we’ve picked up and various breakups. It unintentionally sets the requisite tone for an evening built around Crookes’ latest album Juniper, a record that navigates songs about love and her multicultural identity. By the time we join the freezing queue outside the O2 Academy, all we want to do is to get inside and hear her straight away. Crookes started as a self-taught musician uploading YouTube videos at 13 and she released her first EP, Influence, in 2017. She eventually signed to Insanity, a Sony imprint, and was nominated for the BRIT Rising Star Award by the age of 21; in 2021 her debut album Skin had gone Top 5 in the UK chart. The Brixton show is one of two sold-out hometown dates, which means the atmosphere is buzzing before anything even begins.
Crookes steps on stage, opening with Brave, a fan favourite from the new album Juniper. The crowd’s reaction as soon as she appears is bold and immediate, with people screaming, phones lifting all at once and this rush of energy spreading through the room. She looks cool and effortless in a blue and white two-piece with knee-high boots, matching the chilled energy of the audience, which is a mix of younger fans and, surprisingly, older listeners too, showing just how broad her appeal really is. She admits at the beginning of her set: “I can’t speak at the start because I get shy.” This somehow makes her feel rawer and more magnetic, with the audience still shouting for her in support and recognition. Her voice, a strong and unique R&B tone, carries all the confidence she doesn’t verbalise.
“She admits at the beginning of her set: ‘I can’t speak at the start because I get shy.’ This somehow makes her feel rawer and more magnetic“
Her band is tight and dynamic, and really amplifies Crookes’ distinct tone: bringing the jazzy R&B sound to life. A highlight of the whole show is her performance of the co-write with East End boy Kano, Mathematics, a song this writer has had on repeat since the album’s release. The lyricism brilliantly uses the analogy of love as an unsolvable maths puzzle, which I’m sure is something most of us can relate to. And then comes the moment no one expects: Kano walking onstage. He’s dressed in a dark bomber jacket and clean trainers, carrying himself with a calm, assured attitude that instantly changes the room’s energy. His diction is sharp, he and Crookes bounce off each other effortlessly. Knowing this hasn’t happened at any other tour date makes it feel even more memorable. There are quieter moments, too. When Crookes performs Forever and dedicates it to Palestine, the entire room stills. You can feel everyone listening. One lyric lands heavily: “Memory, rivers runnin’ from my eyes.”
She closes with When You Were Mine, which features the lyric “Smile with the Brixtonshine,” and hearing that in this location brings it all full circle. The whole room sings it back to her, and even once the music stops, no one seems quite ready for it to be over.
LDN 