Soul singer Joy Crookes has issued a stark warning about what she describes as 'dark times' for the UK and Ireland, linking her concerns directly to the visible rise of far-right politics and nationalist sentiment.
Confronting Nationalism On Home Turf
The warning comes fresh from the success of her two completely sold-out performances at London's O2 Academy in Brixton, part of her ongoing Juniper tour. However, the celebratory mood was tempered by her observations of the current political climate.
Crookes, who is a child of immigrants with Irish and Bangladeshi heritage, stated that seeing a proliferation of national flags during recent trips to central London and Dublin left her feeling uneasy. 'I travelled to central London to go shopping and ran into a bunch of St George’s flags. It doesn’t make me feel safe,' she revealed.
Her apprehension deepened during the filming of her debut acting role in Luton. The production's predominantly black and brown cast and crew grew concerned for their safety upon hearing rumours of a rally led by far-right activist Tommy Robinson. 'We were wondering on one of the days whether it was safe to go into work,' Crookes admitted.
A Powerful Musical Tribute Goes Viral
It was this growing sense of alarm that prompted a poignant musical moment during her Brixton residency. A clip from her performance quickly went viral online, featuring her covering Sinéad O'Connor's potent anti-racism anthem, 'Black Boys on Mopeds.'
While introducing the song on stage, Crookes expressed her frustration, saying, 'I don’t want to sing this song, but 35 years ago, Sinead wrote this and it’s still relevant and I feel like it’s probably necessary.'
The song was originally written by O'Connor in response to the deaths of two young black men: Nicholas Bramble, who was killed by police, and Colin Roach, who died in suspicious circumstances inside Stoke Newington police station. The track also criticises political hypocrisy, taking aim at figures like Margaret Thatcher.
A Call for Solidarity and Artist Responsibility
Crookes explained that the decision to perform O'Connor's song was cemented after a trip to Dublin, where she saw Irish tricolour flags being co-opted by a nationalist, anti-immigrant movement. 'I realised at that moment that this is an issue that’s happening in the west... because of the big F, fascism, and the rise of the right,' she stated.
Following a powerful reception in Dublin, her team encouraged her to include the song throughout her UK tour. For Crookes, the performance is a dual act: a show of solidarity for communities affected by far-right rhetoric and a reminder to fellow artists about the importance of using their platform.
'Maybe I’m singing that song as a small nod to my community to say we also have to take some responsibility and speak out,' she mused, adding that while many of her peers are vocal about international issues like Palestine, addressing the 'big R word' – racism – closer to home can be scarier.
When asked if the current political environment compares to the 1970s, when the National Front was at its peak, Crookes was unequivocal: 'In my opinion it’s completely comparable. It’s terrifying … I am really, really concerned.' Her voice adds to a growing chorus of concern about the direction of politics in Britain and Ireland.
