If I ever had to describe Joel Culpepper’s music in one word it would be timeless. The South-East London artist has a sound that fits within any era, be it the 1960’s era of Motown or the early 2000’s where Mary J Blige was taking the world by storm. It’s a retro-modernity that never feels stifled or contrived, it lives within the past, present and future with his rich soulful voice being able to resonate with anyone no matter what their age. He pierces our soul with pain, love and hope, but whatever we go through, his music makes it all worthwhile.

His latest single gives a nod back to Smokey Robinson with the title intentionally playing on his classic Tears of a Clown, giving the legendary sound a modern twist. Tears of a Crown is a titanic number with monumental moments that reflect upon our biggest fear, as Nelson Mandela said, “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.” Culpepper lives and breathes this every single second of this track, his passionate vocal forms a Herculean connection through his fervent display of emotion that brings us into his headspace and lets the emotion pour out of us. His music is a powerful catalyst for the future and this is just the beginning of this stellar musician.

“People say ‘Heavy is the head that wears the crown’, I’ve truly felt that. Our biggest fear is not that we are powerless but we are powerful beyond measure. Guy believed in this song before we did. It’s taken me all this time to realise that belief needs to also come from the person who is set to wear the crown. The first and final battle is always an internal one.”