Joy Oladokun | |
---|---|
Background information | |
Birth name | Olubukola Joy Oladokun [1] |
Born | Casa Grande, Arizona, US | April 6, 1992
Genres | |
Years active | 2016–present |
Labels |
|
Website | joyoladokun |
Olubukola Joy Oladokun (born April 6, 1992 [5] ) is an American singer-songwriter. Oladokun's music spans the genres of folk, R&B, rock, and pop and is influenced by her identity as a queer person of color. She has released four studio albums: Carry (2016), In Defense of My Own Happiness (The Beginnings) (2020), In Defense of My Own Happiness (2021), and Proof of Life (2023).
Oladokun grew up in Casa Grande, Arizona, listening to country and folk music, as well as Bob Marley and Lauryn Hill. [6] [7] Both of her parents are Nigerian immigrants to the United States. Her family regularly attended a Christian church, where Oladokun was chosen to lead worship. Later, Oladokun left the church because it limited her creativity. [8]
When Oladokun was 10, a video of Tracy Chapman inspired her to learn guitar. [6]
After college, at a friend's suggestion, Oladokun moved to Los Angeles to pursue her music career. She later moved to East Nashville, where she signed with Prescription Songs. [9]
In 2015, Joy Oladokun self-released her debut EP, Cathedrals. [3] Her debut studio album, Carry, was funded by Kickstarter and released on April 29, 2016, through Well Records. [3] [10]
Oladokun released the single "Sunday" in 2019, saying "'Sunday' is the song that 12-year-old Joy, seated in the back of church youth group, needed to hear. She needed to hear that you can be queer and happy. Queer and healthy. Queer and holy. She needed to see married women kissing and playing with their kids." [11] The music video highlights people in LGBTQ relationships and has a predominantly queer cast. [12]
In 2020, during the Black Lives Matter movement Oladokun released "Who Do I Turn To?", a ballad co-written with Natalie Hemby. [13] Oladokun’s song "Mercy" follows in the same theme, describing her experience as a black person in the United States, while the single "I See America" criticizes systemic racism. [14] [15] NPR listed "I See America" on its 100 Best Songs of 2020. [16]
On July 17, 2020, Oladokun released her second studio album, In Defense of My Own Happiness (The Beginnings) , with White Boy Records. [10] [17] Billboard described the album as a "stunningly emotional collection". [18] Mitch Mosk, editor-in-chief of Atwood Magazine, called it a "a sweeping, soaring, and stunning sophomore record oozing heart and soul." [19]
In 2021, Oladokun received a grant from YouTube's "#YouTubeBlack Voices Fund". [20] The same year she signed with Amigo Records, Verve Forecast Records, and Republic Records. On June 4, 2021, she released her third studio album, In Defense of My Own Happiness .
On February 17, 2023, Oladokun announced her fourth studio album, Proof of Life , along with the release of the first song off the album entitled "Changes". On March 16, 2023, Oladokun announced the next single off the album entitled "We're All Gonna Die", featuring Noah Kahan, and the lyric video of the song appeared on April 4. On April 20, Oladokun announced her tour for the album which she called "The Living Proof Tour", the tickets for which went on sale on April 25. The tour started on September 10, and ended on October 5, 2023. On April 28, Oladokun released Proof of Life. The album features Mt. Joy (on the track "Friends"), Manchester Orchestra ("You At The Table"), Maxo Kream ("Revolution"), Chris Stapleton ("Sweet Symphony") and Noah Kahan ("We're All Gonna Die").
In August 2024, Oladokun was the opening act for four North American shows on Hozier’s Unreal Unearth Tour. She will also open for the tour’s shows in Australia and New Zealand in November 2024.
Oladokun is gender-nonconforming, [21] and "not totally in the binary." [22]
Oladokun uses she/they pronouns. [21]
Joy Oladokun discography | |
---|---|
Studio albums | 4 |
EPs | 2 |
Singles | 33 |
Music videos | 9 |
Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
US Sales [23] | US Heat [24] | UK Amer. [25] | ||
Carry |
| – | – | – |
In Defense of My Own Happiness (The Beginnings) [upper-alpha 1] |
| – | – | – |
In Defense of My Own Happiness |
| – | – | – |
Proof of Life |
| 96 | 19 | 25 |
Observations From A Crowded Room [26] |
| – | – | – |
Title | Details |
---|---|
In Defense of My Own Happiness (Complete) |
|
Proof of Life (Deluxe) |
|
Title | Details |
---|---|
Cathedrals |
|
Spotify Singles |
|
Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album | |
---|---|---|---|---|
US Rock Air. [27] | US Rock Dig. [28] | |||
"Shelter" | 2016 | – | – | Carry |
"Memphis" | – | – | Non-album singles | |
"No Turning Back" | 2017 | – | – | |
"Sober" | 2018 | – | – | |
"Blame" | 2019 | – | – | |
"Sunday" [upper-alpha 2] | – | – | In Defense of My Own Happiness (The Beginnings) | |
"Blink Twice" | – | – | Non-album single | |
"Too High" | 2020 | – | – | In Defense of My Own Happiness (The Beginnings) |
"Unwelcoming" | – | – | ||
"Bad Blood" | – | – | ||
"Breathe Again" [upper-alpha 3] | – | – | ||
"Who Do I Turn To?" | – | – | ||
"Mercy" (featuring Tim Gent) | – | – | ||
"If You Got a Problem" | – | – | In Defense of My Own Happiness | |
"I See America" | – | – | ||
"Look Up" | – | – | ||
"Mighty Die Young" | – | – | ||
"My Girl" | – | – | Non-album single | |
"Wish You the Best" (featuring Jensen McRae) | 2021 | – | – | In Defense of My Own Happiness |
"Jordan" | – | – | ||
"Sorry Isn't Good Enough" | – | – | ||
"Bigger Man" (with Maren Morris) | – | – | ||
"Who Are You" | – | – | Non-album single | |
"Jingle Bells" | – | – | ||
"Keeping the Light On" | 2022 | – | – | Proof of Life |
"Fortune Favors the Bold" (featuring Tim Gent) | – | – | Non-album single | |
"Purple Haze" | – | – | Proof of Life | |
"Sweet Symphony" (with Chris Stapleton) | – | 25 | ||
"Be Careful" (with Madi Diaz and S.G. Goodman) | – | – | Non-album singles | |
"Power" (from the Al Sharpton documentary Loudmouth) | – | – | ||
"Changes" | 2023 | – | – | Proof of Life |
"We're All Gonna Die" (featuring Noah Kahan) | 46 | – | ||
"Taking Things For Granted" | – | – | ||
Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album | |
---|---|---|---|---|
US Adult [29] | CAN AC [30] | |||
"We Don't Know We're Living" (Lucie Silvas featuring Brandi Carlile and Joy Oladokun) | 2021 | ― | ― | Non-album single |
"Someone Like You" (Noah Kahan featuring Joy Oladokun) | 27 | 50 | I Was/I Am | |
"It's a Good Day (To Fight the System)" (Shungudzo featuring Joy Oladokun) | 2022 | ― | ― | TBA |
Title | Year | Director(s) |
---|---|---|
"Sober" | 2018 | David O'Donohue |
"Blame" | 2019 | TBA |
"Sunday" | Sami Lane | |
"If You Got a Problem" | 2020 | Noah Tidmore |
"Wish You the Best" (featuring Jensen McRae) | 2021 | |
"Sorry Isn't Good Enough" | ||
"Purple Haze" | 2022 | Unknown |
"Sweet Symphony" (featuring Chris Stapleton) | Mason Allen and Nicki Fletcher | |
"Changes" | 2023 | Unknown |
Year | Association | Category | Nominated Work | Result | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2021 | Americana Music Award | Emerging Act of the Year | Herself | Nominated | [31] |
2022 | GLAAD Media Award | Outstanding Breakthrough Music Artist | In Defense of My Own Happiness | Nominated | [32] |
Jamie O'Neal is an Australian country music singer and songwriter.
Łukasz Sebastian Gottwald, known professionally as Dr. Luke, Tyson Trax, and Made in China, is an American musician, songwriter, and record producer. His professional music career began in the late-night television sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live as its house band's lead guitarist in 1996 and producing remixes for artists such as Bon Jovi and Gravediggaz. He came into music prominence in 2004 for producing Kelly Clarkson's single "Since U Been Gone" with Swedish record producer Max Martin.
Cassadee Blake Pope is an American pop and country singer. She was the lead vocalist and songwriter of the pop punk band Hey Monday, with whom she released one studio album and two EPs. Pope embarked on a solo career in early 2012 and released the EP Cassadee Pope in May 2012. She took part in the 3rd season of The Voice and became the first female winner in December 2012. Her debut solo country album, Frame by Frame, was released in 2013 to a top 10 Billboard 200 charting. It debuted at No. 1 on Top Country Albums, with 43,000 copies sold in its first week.
Taylor Monét Parks, known as Tayla Parx, is an American singer, songwriter, entrepreneur, and actor. A four-time Grammy nominee in the Album of the Year category, songs she has written and co-written have exceeded 16 billion streams on Spotify and appeared on the pop, hip hop, R & B, K-pop, country, and Latin charts. She has released four albums, an EP, and a mixtape as a solo artist.
Brittany Amber Howard is an American musician from Athens, Alabama. She rose to prominence in the early 2010s for being the lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, and the primary songwriter of Alabama Shakes. Her work with Alabama Shakes garnered her four Grammy Awards from nine nominations. Later in the decade, Howard played bass in the side project Thunderbitch as well as both acoustic guitar and double bass for the trio Bermuda Triangle.
Brandy Lynn Clark is an American country music singer-songwriter. Her songs have been recorded by Sheryl Crow, Miranda Lambert, the Band Perry, Reba McEntire, LeAnn Rimes, Billy Currington, Darius Rucker, and Kacey Musgraves. She debuted as an artist in her own right in 2013 with her album 12 Stories and has released four additional studio albums. Clark is a sixteen-time Grammy Award nominee, including the 2015 Best New Artist award, and won the Country Music Association Award for Song of the Year as a co-writer on "Follow Your Arrow". In 2023, Clark and frequent collaborator Shane McAnally wrote the music and lyrics for the musical Shucked, earning a nomination for the Tony Award for Best Original Score.
Candace Mycale "Mickey" Guyton is an American country music artist. Raised in Texas, Guyton was exposed to various types of music at a young age, and her material incorporates elements of contemporary country, pop, and R&B music. She moved to Nashville, Tennessee, in 2011 and signed a recording contract with Capitol Records Nashville. In 2015, the label released Guyton's debut extended play (EP), Unbreakable.
Maren Larae Morris is an American singer and songwriter. Rooted in the country genre, her music blends in elements of pop, R&B, and hip hop. Morris has won multiple accolades including a Grammy Award, an American Music Award, five Country Music Association Awards, and five Academy of Country Music Awards.
Julien Rose Baker is an American indie rock singer and guitarist. Her music is noted for its moody quality and confessional lyrical style, as well as frank explorations of topics including Christianity, addiction, mental illness, and human nature. She has received six Grammy Award nominations and three wins as a member of Boygenius.
Lucy Elizabeth Dacus is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. Originally from Richmond, Virginia, Dacus first gained fame following the release of her debut album, No Burden (2016), which led to a deal with Matador Records. Historian, her second album, was released in 2018 to critical acclaim. Home Video, her third studio album, was released in 2021.
Sophia Regina Allison, better known by her stage name Soccer Mommy, is an American singer-songwriter from Nashville, Tennessee.
Jane Chika Oranika, known mononymously as Chika, is an American rapper. She first garnered attention on social media before signing to Warner Records in 2019. The following year, she was included in XXL's 2020 Freshman Class and was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best New Artist. In July 2023 she released her album Samson: The Album, which was met with high praise from various music publications and critics alike.
Devon Gilfillian is an American soul singer-songwriter based in Nashville, Tennessee.
Siena Liggins is an Atlanta-based pop musician.
In Defense of My Own Happiness (The Beginnings) (stylized in all lowercase and originally titled In Defense of My Own Happiness (Vol. 1)) is the second studio album by American singer-songwriter Joy Oladokun. The ten-track album was released on July 17, 2020 through White Boy Records and re-released by Amigo Records and Verve Forecast Records under its current title on March 30, 2021. It was promoted by eight singles. A sequel to the album, titled simply In Defense of My Own Happiness was released on June 4, 2021 and included "Sunday" and "Breathe Again" from volume one. A "complete edition" was released on July 9, 2021 collecting both volumes.
Allison Ponthier is an American indie folk singer-songwriter. Her debut EP Faking My Own Death was released in 2021, and her second EP Shaking Hands With Elvis was released in 2022.
Kayleigh Rose Amstutz, known professionally as Chappell Roan, is an American singer and songwriter. Working with collaborator Dan Nigro, the majority of her music is inspired by 1980s synth-pop and early 2000s pop hits. Her aesthetic is heavily influenced by drag queens, and her music and performing style have been described by critics, including Rolling Stone, as "campy".
Muna is the third studio album by American indie pop band Muna, released on June 24, 2022. It is their first album as an independent artist, after they signed with Phoebe Bridgers' Saddest Factory Records imprint in 2021. It was promoted with the singles "Silk Chiffon", "Anything but Me", "Kind of Girl", "Home by Now" and "What I Want". The album was met with critical acclaim upon release and became the band's first-charting album on the US Billboard 200 and UK Albums Chart.
In Defense of My Own Happiness is the third studio album and major label debut by American singer-songwriter Joy Oladokun. It was released on June 4, 2021, by Amigo Records, Verve Forecast Records, and Republic Records and serves as the sequel to her second studio album In Defense of My Own Happiness (2020). It was promoted by eight singles released throughout 2020 and 2021, and includes two previous singles from The Beginnings, "Sunday" and "Breathe Again". The album features guest appearances from Jensen McRae, Maren Morris, and Penny & Sparrow. On July 30, 2021, a "complete edition" was released featuring all the songs from both albums, as well as two new songs.
Proof of Life is the fourth studio album and second major label album by American singer-songwriter Joy Oladokun. It was released on April 28, 2023, by Amigo Records, Verve Forecast Records, and Republic Records. The album has been supported by five singles released throughout 2022 and 2023. The album features guest appearances from Mt. Joy, Manchester Orchestra, Chris Stapleton, Maxo Kream, and Noah Kahan.