Joy Oladokun stuns with her new song “Nazareth.” A self-produced song, it relates her underdog story to Jesus of Nazareth. “If every underdog becomes a God, when will my luck turn around?” she cries. Her sorrow seeps onto the record in a remarkable, resonant way. To be frank, Oladokun should be a household name by now. She’s been toiling for years, put in the time, and poured her blood, sweat, and tears into her work.
“Nazareth” might be the crown jewel of her songbook. “I have traveled every highway from Phoenix to Maine, a thousand sanctuary doors shut in my face,” she offers. “I’m not asking for much, just a safe little space I can rest.” In the sea of musical faces, she stands out with her tight-knit guitar work and her signature warble, often laced with a gentle rasp around the edges. Her voice is weathered and tired, and that’s what makes it so special. She’s well-lived, experienced so much in her life, and deserves the pleasure of superstar status.
“Nazareth” came to be “line by line while I was on the road last year. From dressing rooms to fishing boats, I turned the melody around in my head until it felt complete,” she writes on Facebook. “It’s a song about the dignity that I believe we all deserve but don’t always get. It’s about the desire to take up space on this planet without fear or apology.”
Listen to “Nazareth” below.
Photo via Joy Oladokun on YouTube
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