Joy Oladokun Announces ‘Hope Is A Heavy Thing,’ Shares the Mischievous “Kind”

Earlier this year, Joy Oladokun returned with “Nothing Comes Easy,” a moving single that signalled a new chapter. Today, she offers another piece of that story with “Kind,” a track that announces her next album, Hope Is A Heavy Thing, out September 25 via Concord Records.

The song showcases Oladokun’s silky vocal control, even as the lyrics turn sharp and self-aware: “I give more grace when I should let things suffer / But fuck around and you’ll discover / There’s blood stains on my teeth.” She delivers that last line with a hint of a smile, a bit of mischief cutting through the darkness.

In a press release, Oladokun describes the album as an effort “to help myself find my light again after burning out.” Recorded across Nashville, New York, and a tour bus, the record pulls from a wide set of influences: the Soulquarians’ approach, Bob Dylan’s rawness, afrobeats rhythms, J Dilla’s sample work, and a current of ’60s and ’70s rock protest music. “It is a record I wrote for anyone who finds themselves wondering how to hope in these times,” she says. “Sometimes it means looking back and digging through the muck to find what’s worth fighting for again.”

The 12-track album includes a feature from Adekunle Gold on “Sage,” and titles like “Dear Maria,” “Zombie,” and “Don’t Call Me Baby!” suggest a record that doesn’t settle into one register.