Perfect Crime
Listen to Perfect Crime on Spotify. Song · Joy Crookes · 2025
South London singer, songwriter and cultural powerhouse Joy Crookes has today shared ‘Perfect Crime’, the latest taste of her highly anticipated second album Juniper, which is due to be released on September 26th 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 as she explains: “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 last month, and will play Glastonbury next week 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.
Joy Crookes: Juniper
Artwork
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
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
Prai
Praise for debut album Skin :
“If the point of a debut album is getting to know an artist, then Skin is a masterclass”
– The Guardian ★★★★
“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 ★★★★★★★★★
Follow Joy Crookes
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As the VP of Publicity at Epic Records, Ayanna handles the US communications strategies for music artists such as Tyla, Mariah the Scientist, ScarLip, DJ Spinall, Madison Beer, 21 Savage, GIVĒON, BIA, Real Boston Richey, Mimi Webb, Jabari Banks, Mike Dimes, India Shawn, , Southside, Joy Crookes and more.
