“I want experiences. I want opportunities. I want to be able to create with people that I’m inspired by, and feature with some of my favorite artists.”
That’s how Summer Joy described her ambitions for this year when I interviewed her this past spring. Though she’d only been releasing music since 2024, an EP and handful of loosies so far, we spoke about the limitlessness of both her musical approach and professional potential.
Nashville artist Summer Joy has learned how to transcend boundaries with her voice
But I couldn’t have predicted that by the end of summer, she’d land a prominent feature on a rap star’s new album.
Joy didn’t even go looking for that opportunity. She’d been posting performance clips on TikTok that showed her reimagining familiar songs with her band, drifting towards jazz openness in a flow state.
One song she decided to mess with in July was the ‘80s new wave pop classic “Everybody Wants to Rule the World.”
She took that sleek bop from Tears For Fears, elongated the phrasing and embroidered the melody with yearning, making it feel like a whole new song.
@summerthejoy too much greed if you ask me
It got the attention of Rod Wave, a melodic rapper known for the wrenching depth of feeling in his massively popular songs. He DMed Joy to request an official recording of her version. Then she went into the studio with her trusted circle of Nashville musicians and did her thing.
At the microphone, she completely gave herself over to what she was singing, and afterwards, she scrutinized the way she attacked and released every note to ensure it all felt right.
@summerthejoy yall heard the new rod wave album?
The other big question was whether Rod Wave’s team could clear the use of the cover with the copyright holders in time for the album release. In the end, the rights were granted. And when the new album “Don’t Look Down” dropped on August 28, it opened with a showcase of Joy’s voice.
My hunch is that Rod Wave listeners all over the world are probably wondering who this Summer Joy is.
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