Acclaimed singer, songwriter, and musician Joy Oladokun’s new song, “Keeping the Light On,” is out today.
Reflecting on the song, Oladokun shares, “My next body of work is about the human will to keep trying in the midst of all the tragedy that we’ve seen and perpetrated. ‘Keeping the Light On’ is my little musical way of saying it’s really hard to keep trying but I think part of life is doing so anyway and seeing what magic comes out of it.”
Written by Oladokun, Mike Elizondo and Ian Fitchuk, “Keeping the Light On” is Oladokun’s first new music since her breakthrough major label debut, in defense of my own happiness. Widely acclaimed., the album landed on numerous “Best of 2021” lists including at NPR Music, Billboard, Variety, American Songwriter, The Tennessean, Nashville Scene and The Bitter Southerner. Most recently, Oladokun was nominated for Outstanding Breakthrough Music Artist at the 2022 GLAAD Media Awards, was featured on the acclaimed podcast, “Song Exploder,” and made her debut on both ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” and PBS’ “Austin City Limits.”
Oladokun will embark on her first ever headline tour this spring including stops at Austin’s Antone’s, Dallas’ Club Dada, Los Angeles’ Troubadour (sold out), San Francisco’s Great American Music Hall, Seattle’s Neumos, Minneapolis’ Fine Line, Chicago’s Lincoln Hall, New York’s Bowery Ballroom (sold out), Boston’s Royale, Washington DC’s Union Stage and Nashville’s The Basement East (two nights, one sold out) among several others. Oladokun will also make her Bonnaroo debut this summer.
Since her debut, Oladokun has continued to receive widespread attention. She has been featured as part of NPR Music’s “Tiny Desk (Home) Concert” series and has performed on “CBS Saturday Morning,” “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” and “TODAY.” She was also named a member of the #YouTubeBlack Voices Class of 2021, a NPR Music/Slingshot’s 2021 Artists to Watch, a Billboard LGBTQ Artist of the Month, Spotify’s RADAR US: Artists to Watch 2021 and Amazon Music’s Artists to Watch 2021, was highlighted as part of HULU’s “Your Attention Please: The Concert” alongside 24kGoldn, Kiana Ledé, Lil Yachty and Swae Lee, and had her music featured on CBS’ “CSI: Vegas,” NBC’s “This Is Us,” ABC’s “Grey’s Anatomy,” ABC’s “Station 19” and NBC’s “America’s Got Talent.” Moreover, Oladokun recently collaborated with Brandi Carlile and Lucie Silvas on new song “We Don’t Know We’re Living,” with Noah Kahan on his track, “Someone Like You” and with Jason Isbell for a new version of Bonnie Raitt’s “I Can’t Make You Love Me” as part of Oladokun’s debut Spotify Singles session.