Joy Crookes has likened the current state of UK and Ireland politics to the 1970s, when far-right ideology was on the rise. The singer's comments come after she performed two sold-out shows in Brixton, where she felt uneasy due to the prevalence of nationalist flags.
Crookes, who is of Irish and Bangladeshi descent, claimed that her own experiences as a child of immigrants made her particularly attuned to the current atmosphere. When driving through Dublin with her cousins, she noticed numerous Irish tricolour flags waving in the air, which led her to reflect on how similar this movement was to far-right ideologies like Tommy Robinson's.
The singer has faced criticism for playing Sinéad O'Connor's song 'Black Boys on Mopeds', an anthem against racism. However, Joy argues that it is still relevant today and encourages "solidarity" between communities directly affected by far-right rhetoric. She believes that musicians have a responsibility to use their voices on this issue.
The recent march through central London and the rise of nationalism in both countries have made Crookes feel unsafe in the UK. Comparing current events to the 1970s, she described it as "terrifying" and expressed concern about the future.
Crookes, who is of Irish and Bangladeshi descent, claimed that her own experiences as a child of immigrants made her particularly attuned to the current atmosphere. When driving through Dublin with her cousins, she noticed numerous Irish tricolour flags waving in the air, which led her to reflect on how similar this movement was to far-right ideologies like Tommy Robinson's.
The singer has faced criticism for playing Sinéad O'Connor's song 'Black Boys on Mopeds', an anthem against racism. However, Joy argues that it is still relevant today and encourages "solidarity" between communities directly affected by far-right rhetoric. She believes that musicians have a responsibility to use their voices on this issue.
The recent march through central London and the rise of nationalism in both countries have made Crookes feel unsafe in the UK. Comparing current events to the 1970s, she described it as "terrifying" and expressed concern about the future.
I'm low-key freaking out over this one. Like, how can our politicians be so oblivious to the rise of far-right groups? I mean, Joy's not wrong, those flags are a major red flag (no pun intended). We need more voices like hers who aren't afraid to speak up about racism and nationalism 
.
. I'm loving the idea of solidarity between communities – it's time we started working together to combat this toxic ideology.
. We need more of this kind of conversation, not less 
.
I don't think we're seeing a whole lot of difference between then and now... both back then and now, there are always gonna be folks with extreme views who try to stir up trouble. It's easy to get caught up in the negativity, but I feel like Joy is trying to bring attention to something important – the importance of unity & solidarity. 
Like, yeah, Tommy Robinson might've been a divisive figure, but that doesn't mean we can just dismiss the issue of racism & nationalism as a whole... or try to erase the voices that speak out against it. We need more people like Joy using their platforms to bring us together instead of tearing us apart 
. Like, can't we have a discussion about this without having to scroll through like 5 pages of outdated info? And seriously, what's with all the nationalism going around? It's getting to the point where it's basically impossible to have a decent conversation online without someone bringing up their little flags and whatnot 
. I mean, I get that Joy Crookes is trying to bring attention to this issue, but can't we focus on the actual problem instead of just shouting about our favorite flags? It's like, I'm all for solidarity and all that jazz, but can't we do it without making everyone feel uncomfortable or defensive? 
. Like, I get why she feels uneasy with all these nationalist flags popping up everywhere, but can't we just talk about this stuff without getting all intense? 
. As someone who's all about using music as a form of activism, I gotta respect Joy's stance on this. It's time for us to come together and address these issues before they spiral out of control 
The flags, the marches, the singer's own experiences... it all seems like a carefully crafted narrative to me 
. It's like we're reliving history, but instead of being anti-establishment, it's all about division and fear. Joy Crookes is right, her experience as an immigrant kid gives her a unique perspective on what's happening. But it's not just her experience - it's our collective responsibility to speak out against this kind of rhetoric 
.
.
. Joy's got a point that musicians have been at the forefront of social change for decades - think Bob Geldof or Bono 
. The 1970s were a scary time, but we can't let history repeat itself 
! Like, I get where she's coming from, but at the same time, can't help feeling like this is all so familiar 
. But what really got me was when Joy mentioned how her own heritage has made her more attuned to these issues... like, yaaas, representation matters 
.
... we gotta listen to her voice and use our own power to amplify solidarity between communities 
... and I'm thinkin', what's the point of all this if we're just gonna keep repeatin' the same patterns over and over? Can't we break free from this cycle of fear and hate? 
i think it's time for us to calm down and listen to what musicians like joy are saying instead of attacking them 
also what's up with all these nationalist flags everywhere? isn't that kinda what we're trying to fight against 
I mean, her own story about being a child of immigrants and witnessing similar vibes in Ireland is wild. Can't help but think it's pretty scary to see far-right ideologies on the rise again 
. It's like, what happened to all that love and unity we were taught? 
Joy's music and message are so powerful right now... she's giving me hope that maybe we can learn from the past and create a better future 
. She's a proud member of the Bangladeshi community, but her comments seem to be more about her own experience than actually calling out the problem 
. I mean, come on, Sinéad O'Connor's song is still relevant? It's not like it's going to spark any meaningful change 
The fact that she performed sold-out shows despite feeling uneasy due to the nationalist flags waving around just goes to show how passionate she is about this cause. We need more people like Joy Crookes using their voices to bring about change 