Joy Crookes announces highly anticipated new album ‘Juniper’ External Inbox

South London singer, songwriter and cultural powerhouse Joy Crookes has today unveiled the news that her worth-the-wait second album Juniper will be released on September 26th ahead of a full UK & EU headline tour. 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.

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.

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), Juniperfeatures 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.

Ahead of her performance this weekend at BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend event in Liverpool, followed by a slot at Glastonbury, Joy is pleased to announce 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 

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 1

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, Brixton

Europe

Monday, November 24, 2025, Brussels, Belgium, Ancienne Belgique

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

Praise for debut album Skin

“a rich, varied and considered body of work… ‘Skin’ is an album worthy of elevating the singer into the realm of Britain’s classiest chart-bothering talents. It does everything a debut should” – DIY ★★★★★

“An impressive debut that announces Crookes as a new star and a genuine talent” – The Times ★★★★

“a masterful study of a young woman reckoning with her transition to adulthood” – NME ★★★★

“Crookes is the real thing…  While many artists chase nostalgia, Crookes offers a different way forward. The new face of British soul” – Clash ★★★★★★★★★