June 30, 2023—In celebration of Pride Month, a new video for Joy Oladokun’s song, “Pride,” is debuting today. Animated by Lee Gregory, the video celebrates members of the LGBTQIA community from throughout history.
“Pride,” which Billboard calls “an anthem of hope and strength,” is from Oladokun’s new album, Proof of Life, which was released earlier this spring to overwhelming acclaim via Amigo Records/Verve Forecast/Republic Records(stream/purchase here). In celebration of the record, Oladokun recently performed on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” and spoke with The New York Times, who proclaims, “the singer-songwriter with Springsteen aspirations wants to make music for everyone. Her new album, Proof of Life, pushes her one step closer,” and continues, “her songs are conversational and confessional, and her hooky but profound melodies turn her lyrics into mantras.”
With production by Oladokun, Mike Elizondo, Ian Fitchuk, Dan Wilson and Alysa Vanderhym, Proof of Life captures the human experience with a profound simplicity. Across these thirteen tracks—including collaborations with Chris Stapleton, Noah Kahan, Manchester Orchestra, Mt. Joy and Maxo Kream—Oladokun celebrates the little details and simple pleasures of being alive, while also giving voice to some of life’s most complex experiences in a way only she can.
One of music’s most unique and vulnerable voices, Oladokun will embark on her extensive “Living Proof” headline tour this fall including shows at New York’s Irving Plaza, Denver’s Summit Music Hall, St. Louis’ Delmar Hall, Asheville’s The Orange Peel, Charlotte’s The Underground, Washington DC’s The Howard, Philadelphia’s Union Transfer and Boston’s Roadrunner among many others. Oladokun will also join Noah Kahan on his sold-out tour this summer. See below for complete tour itinerary. Full details can be found at www.joyoladokun.com/tour.
Further adding to her breakout career, Oladokun’s song, “i see america,” was selected as a finalist for the Recording Academy’s new Special Merit Award, Best Song for Social Change, an accolade honoring music that addresses current social issues while inspiring positive global impact. Additionally, Oladokun is featured as part of GAP’s new campaign for their limited-edition line, GAP x The Brooklyn Circus, created in partnership with Brooklyn Circus founder and creative director, Ouigi Theodore, to celebrate the spirit of individuality and culture.
Proof of Life adds to a series of breakout years for Oladokun, a proud queer Black person and daughter of Nigerian immigrants. Her breakthrough major label debut, in defense of my own happiness, landed on numerous “Best of 2021” lists including at Billboard, Variety, American Songwriter, The Tennessean, Nashville Scene, The Bitter Southerner and NPR Music, who praised, “She has a remarkable ability to distill how forces at work in the world…she can make even social and political protest feel like an intimate, warmly human act.”
Moreover, Oladokun recently performed at the White House as part of the Respect for Marriage Act signing ceremony and has also performed on “CBS Saturday Morning,” “Jimmy Kimmel Live!,” “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” “TODAY,” PBS’ “Austin City Limits and NPR Music’s “Tiny Desk (Home) Concert” series. Oladokun’s music has also been included in Loudmouth, the recent Al Sharpton documentary, CBS’ “CSI: Vegas,” NBC’s “This Is Us,” ABC’s “Grey’s Anatomy,” ABC’s “Station 19,” NBC’s “America’s Got Talent” and HBO’s “And Just Like That” among many others.
Widely respected by her peers, Oladokun has collaborated with artists such as Brandi Carlile, Maren Morris, Jason Isbell, Lucie Silvas and Noah Kahan and has joined Morris, Isbell, My Morning Jacket, Pink Sweat$, Leon Bridges and Manchester Orchestra on the road. She’s also performed at several major festivals including Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, Hangout, Ohana Festival and Newport Folk Festival.
