Joy Crookes has shared the striking video for her latest single ‘Perfect Crime’, filmed in Dhaka, Bangladesh, ahead of her new album Juniper, which lands 26th September.
Directed by Crookes herself, the video sees her riding atop a moving train, framed by the colour and chaos of Dhaka’s cityscape and countryside. “The city’s imperfect beauty and chaos imbues the video with an atmosphere that can’t be emulated,” she said. The track, co-produced with Harvey Grant, uses the metaphor of a Western to explore vulnerability, confidence, and emotional risk. “This song is basically me giving myself a pep talk,” Crookes added.
The South London artist, whose 2021 debut Skin earned BRIT and Mercury Prize nominations, describes Juniper as a more nuanced and visceral record, shaped by a turbulent period in her life. Alongside contributions from Blue May and Tev’n, the album features appearances from Vince Staples on the fiery ‘Pass The Salt’ and Kano on ‘Mathematics’.
Crookes’ Glastonbury set last month followed a slot on Radio 1’s Big Weekend and comes ahead of an extensive UK and European tour this autumn. She’ll perform in Dublin, Glasgow, Bristol and Manchester, before headlining London’s O2 Academy Brixton for the first time. The first Brixton date has already sold out.
Juniper dives into themese of body politics, queer love, mental health, and the thrills of falling in love. “With Juniper, every situation is visceral and I’m very much in it,” said Crookes. “It’s me in the centre of it all.”
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