Joy Oladokun Announces She’s Taking A Break From Music

Joy Oladokun, a renowned artist who’s based in Nashville, TN, just announced in a post on Instagram that she’ll be stepping away from music for an unknown period of time. “i’m taking a break to find warmth and a table if there’s one for me out there. actual community that’ll respond when one of their own is in need. i’m also taking some time to confront new and old demons and to heal,” she said. “if i return, i think it’ll be different than it has been. or at least i’ll be different.”

The “look up” artist has become a central figure in the folk scene in recent years as songs with Noah Kahan and Chris Stapleton have expanded her audience to the tens of millions. Right now, Joy sits at 2.7 million monthly listeners on Spotify, speaking to her influence and prominence.

While Joy did not go into specific details about her choice to take a break from music, she described her decision be comparing the situation to feeling “…like a stray animal in a small town. the locals love the little tricks and throw me scraps. they marvel about strength it has taken to survive without concern for the animal’s current condition,” she said. “it’s equal parts an inspiring story and a cruel spectacle.”

Right now, it is unclear if Joy will be back for her Europe/ UK 2024 Tour — tickets have been on sale since Oct. 27, 2023.