Joy Oladokun Shares ‘Observations From A Crowded Room’ On New Album

Joy Oladokun announced details of Observations From A Crowded Room, her forthcoming new album set for release on October 18 via Amigo Records/Verve Forecast/Republic Records. Oladokun also previewed the 15-track collection by sharing the singles “No Country” and “I’d Miss The Birds.”

Observations From A Crowded Room was written, produced and largely performed solely by Oladokun. The follow-up to the Nashville-based singer-songwriter’s 2023 LP Proof Of Life features 12 songs and three spoken word interludes. The album is said to find “Oladokun reflecting on her place in the world, both as a person and an artist, while blending her pop-folk roots with electronic and psychedelic elements” as per press materials.

Joy Oladokun reflected on Observations From A Crowded Room, stating:

“This album became a way for me to write things, feel things, process things. Because, as the producer, I just had to sit with these songs for so long. It became really healing in a sense of, ‘I made this. I’m listening to an album that I genuinely love. All the sounds and bits and bobs came from me with the help of just an engineer.’ It was transformative. So, it started out as, ‘I quit,’ and it has ended up as a fresh start.”

Oladokun also shared additional thoughts on the project within the Instagram post below:

Joy Oladokun recently released the singles “Questions, Chaos & Faith” and “Drugs.” Both songs will appear on Observations From A Crowded Room.

Oladokun feels the songs she put out today best represent the album. “‘No Country’ is a song I wrote about the various conflicts and genocides in our world and the fact that your god and your flag don’t erase the fact that we have a moral responsibility to protect each other,” Oladokun wrote. “Hiding behind them doesn’t absolve you from evil, it just makes you the very best thing you swear to fight against.”

“‘I’d Miss The Birds” is a song I wrote on my porch about running into what some will say is my impending irrelevancy with peace,” Oladokun explained.

Observations From A Crowded Room Tracklist

1. Letter From A Blackbird
2. Am I?
3. Observation #1
4. Strong Ones
5. Drugs
6. Questions, Chaos & Faith
7. No Country
8. Observation #2
9. Hollywood
10. Flowers
11. Dust/Divinity
12. Good Enough
13. Observation #3
14. I’d Miss The Birds
15. Goodbye