Joy Denalane feat. Lupe Fiasco – Change

Release date: Out now

Format: Single
Genre: R n B/Soul
Rating: 4/5

German-Born Denalane releases her new single Change off the recently released “Born & Raised” album with style, sexuality and copious amounts of flavoursome soul. Returning back to the good ol’ American Soul days the track lifts spirits, infuses romance and offers hope.

Joy’s melody and harmonic value are tonally diverse displaying benevolent subtlety and aggressive force, which is juxtaposed with a soulful rhythm department consisting of an intriguingly sexy and sleazy horn section.

Despite a slightly disappointing and soulless rapping intersection by Lupe Fiasco, attempting to maximise current hip-poppers and ‘gangsters’, the lecture-style educational delivery on the meaning of change and global political issues is hopeful. But musically this blistering contemporary tune fuses classic Blaxploitation Soul with Nu-soul that would grace easily Mary J. Blige’s repertoire – let’s board the smooth, groovy train and let change continue!

Review by Richard Elliott

Press release:
This Summer sees the release of “Change”, the new single by Joy Denalane. Featuring Lupe Fiasco, “Change“ is the next chapter of Hip-Hop Soul taken from her new album “Born & Raised”, currently heating it up on MTV Base’s Spanking New Playlist and 1xtra’s B List!

Her recent single “Heaven or Hell” featuring Raekwon from Wu Tang Clan and her album “Born & Raised” has already excited the critics here and won her many new fans:

The Observer: “Not since Mary J Blige has a female R&B artist sung with such conviction. Intelligent lyrics, a stunning voice and collaborations with Lupe fiasco and Raekwon make this a must.”

Blues & Soul: “A contender for pole position of “Real R&B Artist Of The Year”…the best thing since Mary J, Faith Evans and Syleena Johnson…With her superb LP ”Born & Raised”, Joy Denalane has seriously struck gold”  5/5.

Attitude:  “With the release of the sublime brand-new old-school “Born & Raised”, she’s set to seduce listeners the world over”.

Mojo: “Whether she sings of love or social change she pulls you into her world” – 4 stars.

Touch: “At last, a singer set to put the soul back into R’n’B”

Joy has been globetrotting from her native Germany. She recently appeared at the Springroove Festival in Japan, alongside Kanye West and Lauryn Hill. She shot the new video there for “Change” with Lupe.  

The daughter of a South African father and German mother, Joy was born in the then divided city of Berlin. She grew up with two cultural and racial backgrounds, between Berlin and Soweto, a duality which has strongly influenced her entire life. Growing up in a musical family (her uncle is Hugh Masekela); Joy was raised on a heady mixture of African music, American Soul music and Hip Hop. She drew her inspiration from such varied artists as Aretha Franklin, Letta M’Bulu and Mary J Blige. She spent her teens and early twenties singing with various soul and reggae bands, then met producers DJ Thomilla and Tiefschwarz and sang on their dance hit “Music”. After a stint with the FK Allstars and hooking up with Producer Max Herre, she released her first album “Mamani” in 2002 which was Top 10 in Germany and established Joy as the Queen of German Soul. Joy’s new album “Born & Raised“ has been a massive smash both in Germany, where it debuted at #2 in their Album Chart.


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MyVillage, 03rd August