A Trip to Bangladesh with Joy Crookes

The south London singer journeys takes us to Bangladesh while shooting her 'Perfect Crime' video. Here she talks the importance representing heritage.

Since her breakthrough as a teenager, Irish-Bangladeshi musician Joy Crookes, who was born and raised in South London, has always been vocal about representing who she is. Throughout her career, she has spoken up for unrepresented groups within the music world ("I hope that other lil Desi girls will pick up their guitars, paintbrushes, voices and go and do what they feel they have to do too" she wrote in 2018).

She continues to blatantly address uninspiring questions when it comes to her heritage (she's called the question of how being Irish and Bangladeshi have influenced her music 'vague and stupid' and has openly called out reductive takes on her artistry) and seeks to represent herself, and her cultures in authentic ways personal to her.

Directing and filming the video for 'Perfect Crime' - the first single off her second album Juniper was another opportunity to show people the joys of her Bangladesh, as she has lived and experienced it.

How did you set about capturing a sense of place and why was this important to you?

For anyone that has been to Dhaka, you know it is arguably one of the most ‘happening’ places in the world. When we were location scouting, Shopon Bhai whisked us around the city and was pretty inclined to show us really beautiful, grand places. Some locations were sorted already because I’d sent Fayed references but all the new spots Shopon initially showed me were ‘too pretty’. I explained to him I need chaos and stories - just trying to show the real Dhaka.

This BTS reveals quite a few things were improvised - the kids on the boat, the moving train - what do these impromptu moments say about Bangladeshi way of life?

The impromptu moments in Dhaka show that their way of life is spontaneous. I often think that we view chaos completely wrong in western society, the natural order of nature has always been chaos and I think Bangladeshis move so harmoniously with chaos - Dhaka is a fantastic example of that. Bangladeshis can find stillness in chaos.

You are often between worlds, culturally speaking and geographically as well. What do you think are the biggest misconceptions about Bangladesh?

The biggest misconception about Bangladesh is that it isn’t a place worth visiting. We always hear of people going to India or Sri Lanka when Desh is absolutely never on the list. I wish this could change, there is a blossoming vibrant rave and dance scene in Dhaka and beautiful villages across the country with so much vastness in nature and history, desh has so much to offer for all generations. My top tip for travelling to Bangladesh is go to any night by Bhai Bhai Soundsystem and definitely visit a village - oh and eat some bhortha!!