LOS ANGELES, CA- Until now, Joy Crookes was a name I’d only seen in passing. Mercury Prize nominee, BRIT nominee, and beloved in the UK. But her latest single “Perfect Crime” was essentially my introduction to her music and… she not only does she make a strong impression, but she kicks down the door, and steals my intrigue.
Released in the lead-up to her sophomore album Juniper, “Perfect Crime” is a smoky, lo-fi banger. Produced alongside Harvey Grant, the track is all sultry swagger and slow burn, pairing Crookes’ unmistakably British delivery with a dusty, cinematic atmosphere. The beat drips with tension, but it’s her casually seductive delivery that really seals the deal for me.
“I’m a killer, I’m a killer, I’m a killer / Bang-bang, gun fingers in the mirror,” she sings in the chorus. It’s catchy, stylish, and deceptively complex. There’s a tongue-in-cheek power in lines like “I pour myself into you, still keep a glass of me too,” and a sharp emotional awareness running under the bravado. It’s the kind of song that’s equal parts swagger and vulnerability.
The accompanying video, which Crookes directed herself, only adds to the mystique. Shot in Dhaka, Bangladesh (her mother’s birthplace) the visuals are culturally striking hitting on a variety of scene of Dkaha. The juxtaposition of minimal choreography and chaotic beauty creates a rich, sensory backdrop that adds layers to the song’s emotional terrain. It’s not only an aesthetic flex but it’s also a reclamation of cultural identity set to a score of quiet danger.
Lyrically, “Perfect Crime” reads like a series of affirmations delivered by a woman who knows the stakes but isn’t afraid to play anyway. “Think I was scared to take more than a touch / I’m a bad, bad loser,” she confesses — a moment of vulnerability tucked inside a mantra of self-possession. And then, just like that, she’s back to firing off imaginary rounds in the mirror. It’s cheeky, but grounded in something honest.
“Perfect Crime” doesn’t try to dazzle with technical fireworks. Instead, it leans into vibe and storytelling, a welcome reminder that sometimes less really is more. It’s a musical portrait showing that Joy Crookes knows exactly who she is and exactly how to serve a moment.
For someone like me, who came in cold, this single is the perfect gateway drug. Now I’m ready to dig through the rest of her catalog — because if this is what she calls a “pep talk,” I can’t wait to hear what her heartbreak sounds like. Juniper just landed on my radar, and I’m staying tuned.
Follow Joy Crookes on Facebook, X, and Instagram.
*********************
