Joy Crookes – Juniper
South London singer, songwriter and cultural powerhouse Joy Crookes has today unveiled her sophomore album Juniper.
The focus track “Forever” lands alongside a striking live performance video recorded inside Do Ho Suh’s Walk The House exhibition at the Tate Modern. The video coincides with Joy’s curation of Tate Late on September 26, where she’ll perform songs from Juniper surrounded by the imagery and fashion that shaped the album’s creative journey.
Speaking about the inspiration behind “Forever,” Joy shares: “Why does the word forever exist if loss is inevitable? Nothing can be forever. But I started to understand that living is not just being alive, it’s not only about existence. Living is legacy, it’s memories of people, it’s the influence you have on the world around you.”
Juniper includes the singles “Somebody To You” and “Perfect Crime.”
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.
Tour Dates:
UK & Ireland
Monday, November 03, 2025, Dublin, Ireland, Olympia
Monday, November 10, 2025, Glasgow, UK, O2 Academy
Tuesday, November 11, 2025, Leeds, UK, O2 Academy
Wednesday, November 12, 2025, Manchester, UK, Academy
Friday, November 14, 2025, Birmingham, UK, O2 Academy
Saturday, November 15, 2025, Bournemouth, UK, O2 Academy
Sunday, November 16, 2025, Bristol, UK, O2 Academy
Tuesday, November 18, 2025, London, UK, O2 Academy Brixton
Europe
Monday, November 24, 2025, Brussels, Belgium, Ancienne Belgique
Tuesday, November 25, 2025, Amsterdam, Netherlands, Melkweg
Wednesday, November 26, 2025, Amsterdam, Netherlands, Melkweg
Friday, November 28, 2025, Hamburg, Germany, Docks
Saturday, November 29, 2025, Cologne, Germany, Live Music Hall
Monday, December 01, 2025, Zurich, Switzerland, X-tra
Tuesday, December 02, 2025, Paris, France, Salle Pleyel
Thursday, December 04, 2025, Berlin, Germany, Tempodrom
Sunday, December 07, 2025, Copenhagen, Denmark, Vega Main Hall
Monday, December 08, 2025, Stockholm, Sweden, Cirkus
Tuesday, December 09, 2025, Oslo, Norway, Rockefeller
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