BRIT-nominated, rising London artist Joy Crookes unveils a new track today, "Anyone But Me"-listen below! The highly personal track premiered as Annie Mac's Hottest Record on Radio 1 today and is from Joy's forthcoming debut album out later this year.
"I've suffered from mental health issues since I was young. Where I grew up, this wasn't a topic you would bring up when your mum was fixing you a plate of dal or when your mates were showing you how to flirt with boys and girls, so when I had my first episode of depression I didn't really know where to turn to," Joy says. "Having these important conversations with my friends and my family has been challenging and I guess that's why I always turned to music. Music has a way to soften the blow. It can make situations that seem completely out of reach tangible, especially when you feel like you're living with another version of yourself. I hope we can all continue breaking down boundaries that stretch between generations and cultures and continue this conversation about how we really feel."
"Anyone But Me" is Joy Crookes' first release since her name appeared on major industry tip lists at the beginning of the year, from the BRITs Rising Star Award shortlist to Amazon Music, Youtube Music and more. The 21-year-old singer is already gaining recognition from major outlets, including Vogue-which called her "undoubtedly one of the most exciting artists to emerge in the music scene" in 2019-i-D, The Guardian-which lauded her "effortlessly nuanced and individual melodic sensibility"-FADER and more. In addition, she recently became the face of the new Tommy Jeans x Looney Tunes collaboration.
Born and raised in the South London neighborhood of Elephant and Castle, Joy is of Bangladeshi and Irish descent. She spent her teen years playing in bands with friends, and later, videos she posted of herself singing on Youtube caught the attention of the music industry. She has put out three EPs -Influence EP in 2018 and Reminiscence EP and Perception EP in 2019-toured internationally to sold out crowds and performed at festivals such as BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend.
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