JOY CROOKES RELEASES VIDEO FOR LATEST SINGLE ‘PERFECT CRIME,’ WATCH HERE.
Off the back of her widely acclaimed performance on Glastonbury’s Other Stage, South London singer, songwriter and cultural powerhouse Joy Crookes has today shared the video for her latest single ‘Perfect Crime’ — a visually striking piece filmed in Bangladesh, the country of her mother’s birth. The video sees Crookes riding atop a moving train, surrounded by sweeping city and rural landscapes, while weaving in rich cultural references that pay homage to her heritage and the vibrant spirit of Bangladeshi life. ‘Perfect Crime’ is the latest taste of her highly anticipated second album Juniper, which is due to be released on September 19th ahead of a full UK & EU headline tour.
Co-produced by Joy alongside Harvey Grant, ‘Perfect Crime’ sees Joy self-actualise her own power through the metaphor of a Western movie. It’s a song that Joy took a lot of ownership in producing, so when her idea for the visuals crystallised, she wanted to carry that ownership through by directing the video, as she explains: “The choreography was intended to be quite simple and repetitive but against a foil of something that was almost overstimulating. The location wasn’t even really a question, Dhaka, Bangladesh was the ideal backdrop, the city’s imperfect beauty and chaos imbues the video with an atmosphere that can’t be emulated or recreated. It was a perfect pairing.”
On the track itself, she adds: “Perfect Crime is written about that scary bit of time just before you go back into the dating world and you need to just bite the bullet and dive into something. It’s kind of like my version of a mantra or doing positive affirmations in the mirror…this song is basically me giving myself a pep talk.”
Following the success of her 2021 debut Skin, which earned BRIT and Mercury Prize nominations, went Top 5 in the UK charts, and drew acclaim from The Guardian, NME and many more, Joy set out to make an album that pushed her further both musically and personally. Juniper is the result: a project defined by its depth and dynamism. A stunningly candid and fearless body of work, the album reaffirms Joy as one of the UK’s most vital and original voices. A once-in-a-generation talent, Crookes delivers a record that is both emotionally raw and sonically rich; humorous, heartbreaking and profoundly human.
Written with a stripped-back approach and produced by long-time collaborators including Blue May (Kano, Jorja Smith), Tev’n (Stormzy) and Harvey Grant (Arlo Parks), Juniper features standout guest appearances from Vince Staples on the incendiary ‘Pass The Salt’ and Kano on the bittersweet confessional ‘Mathematics’. Crookes describes the record as “more nuanced” than Skin: “With Juniper, every situation is visceral and I’m very much in it. It’s me in the centre of it all.” The title itself nods to resilience (an evergreen that thrives in harsh conditions) and the album dives deep into themes of body politics, mental health, queer love, anxiety, industry hypocrisy and the ecstasy (and terror) of falling in love.
Lead singles like ‘Pass The Salt’ and ‘I Know You’d Kill’ showcase Crookes’ lyrical agility – blending poetic detail with razor-sharp wit. Meanwhile, the euro-pop inspired ‘First Last Dance’ channels euphoric melodies to mask deep emotional struggle, and the cinematic ‘Perfect Crime’ sees Joy fully self-actualise in the style of a Western showdown. On ‘Paris’, the closing track, Joy reflects on a formative queer relationship: “Something I feared so much finally, actually felt like love.” It’s a sentiment echoed across Juniper – a record that captures the beauty and brutality of emotional openness.
The album arrives after a period of personal upheaval for Crookes, including a mental health crisis that shadowed the album’s creation. “I was in the trenches,” she says. “But the studio became my solace. What you hear is live and direct from that time.” Despite the darkness, Juniper radiates warmth, levity, and life, powered by Crookes’ ever-restless creativity and artistic excellence.
Joy returned to the live stage for BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend event in Liverpool, and also played Glastonbury last month to roaring success, in advance of a full UK & EU headline tour for the backend of the year. In celebration of Juniper’s release, Joy will head out to all major cities including Dublin, Manchester, Bristol and London where she’ll play the much coveted O2 Academy Brixton for the first time. See below for full routing and ticket info.
Tracklist:
1. Brave
2. Pass the Salt feat. Vince Staples
3. Carmen
4. Perfect Crime
5. Mathematics feat. Kano
6. House With A Pool
7. I Know You’d Kill
8. First Last Dance
9. Mother
10. Somebody To You
11. Forever
12. Paris
