The Joy (The Joy album)
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| The Joy | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 21 June 2024 | |||
| Studio | The Church Studios | |||
| Length | 30:24 | |||
| Label | Transgressive Records | |||
| The Joy chronology | ||||
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| Singles from The Joy | ||||
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The Joy is the debut album by South African a cappella group The Joy. It was released on 21 June 2024 on Transgressive Records.[1]
The Joy was formed by five members of a school choir in the township of Hammarsdale.[2] They released an EP called Hammarsdale in August 2023.[3] In Spring 2024 they performed with Doja Cat at Coachella.[4]
The Joy is their debut album, and was recorded live at the Church Studios in London.[2]
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Mojo |   [5] |
| Musikexpress | [6] |
| Rolling Stone Germany |  [7] |
| Songlines | [2] |
Mark Sampson of Songlines called The Joy an "exceptional album...the soul of simplicity."[2] In a review for Mojo, David Hutcheon wrote that "Ladysmith Black Mambazo will get a lot of comparative name-checks, but The Joy's sound is their own."[5]
André Boße of Musikexpress described primary lead vocalist Melokuhle Mkhungo's voice as "direct and forceful,"[6] and David Hutcheon called it "one of the finds of the year."[5]