With a singular and wide-ranging voice, South London's Joy Crookes spun cinematic ballads throughout the 2010s and 2020s, making her full-length debut with 2021 album Skin.
Born in Lambeth, South London, Joy Elizabeth Akther Crookes spent her early years in Elephant and Castle before moving to West London at 14. A self-taught pianist and guitarist, Crookes published covers online throughout her teenage years, catching the ear of her future manager with a version of "Hit the Road Jack" that she recorded at 15. Her first original material was soon to follow: in 2016, aged just...