Track of the week. Joy Crookes channels an essence of Amy Winehouse on new single ‘Feet Don’t Fail Me Now’. A perfect blend of indie and soul, this is a sound that is sonically captivating and lyrically intelligent.
“This song is one of the most complicated songs I’ve ever written (in a good way). The track carries with it a deep sense of irony, it’s written from the perspective of someone who finds it easier to remain complicit out of a fear of being cancelled. During the social and political turmoil of the last 12 months, performative behaviour has become prevalent alongside cancel culture. These two reactions I think are often intertwined as cancel culture can be a response to half hearted performatism.”
“In some sense you can sympathise with the perspective I’m singing from because cancel culture is scary, as is re-educating yourself and challenging your friends and families. Ultimately I hope the song encourages people to be a bit braver, whilst the themes are clear in my head the chorus is universal – ‘man I guess I was scared, feet don’t fail me now, I got to stand my ground and though I’m down for trying, I am better in denial so I hush don’t make a sound’. Open up a dialogue, speak out, make mistakes – that’s okay and that’s how progress happens.”