
Union Stage Presents:
Joy Oladokun: The Heavy Things Tour
Fri, 13 Nov, 8:00 PM EST
Doors open
7:00 PM EST
Howard Theatre
620 T Street NW, Washington, DC 20001
Description
Joy Oladokun: Zombie VIP Merch Bundle Includes:
● One General Admission ticket
● Early entry into the venue
● Exclusive VIP merch gift
● Commemorative VIP laminate & lanyard
● Crowd-free merchandise shopping
● Limited availability
Joy Oladokun is one of today’s most compelling genre-defying voices. A queer Black musician and daughter of Nigerian immigrants, Oladokun has become a vital cultural voice, writing songs that explore identity, faith, mental health, and social justice with honesty and restraint. Those themes remain at the heart of Hope Is A Heavy Thing, Oladokun's new 12-track album, due September 25. Produced by Oladokun with additional contributions from Nigerian producer Spellz and a feature from Nigerian artist Adekunle Gold, the album marks a bold new creative chapter, broadening her sound while continuing to explore questions of identity, resilience, and belonging with the emotional depth that has become her signature. The project further reflects Oladokun’s ability to draw from diverse influences while creating music that transcends genre and geography.
Since her 2020 breakthrough, Oladokun has released three critically acclaimed albums, was nominated for Americana Artist of the Year, and saw her protest anthem “i see america” named a finalist for the Recording Academy’s Special Merit Award for Best Song for Social Change. Praised by The New York Times, NPR Music and Billboard for her ability to turn quiet introspection into lasting impact, Oladokun has brought her music to national television on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, CBS Saturday Morning, and Austin City Limits, while her songs have been featured across major TV series. With collaborations spanning artists like Chris Stapleton, Brandi Carlile, Noah Kahan, and Maxo Kream, she is entering her next chapter by bringing an even broader, bolder sound to the table, continuing to prove herself as an artist who not only bends genre but bridges culture.
Event Information
Age Limit
All Ages

Indie Pop
Joy Oladokun
Joy Oladokun
Indie Pop
Joy Oladokun documents her life in songs. For as much as she examines her place in the world as the first-generation daughter of Nigerian immigrants and a proud queer Black person, she also celebrates the little details and the simple pleasures of being alive. Of course, the narrator’s humble demeanor belies the gravity of her extraordinary accomplishments thus far—from captivating audiences on sold out tours and late-night television to finding herself with a guitar in hand on the White House lawn in celebration of equality. After grinding it out for years, she reached critical mass with her 2021 major label debut, in defense of my own happiness. It graced countless year-end lists and led Vanity Fair to declare, "Her name is both prescient and redundant. She oozes energy that shifts a room’s center of gravity and makes you happy for it. It is charisma and she has it in spades. It’s the way she approaches her craft too.” Along the way, she’s delivered unforgettable performances on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, PBS’s Austin City Limits and NPR Music’s Tiny Desk (Home) Concert and more and captivated festivalgoers at Bonnaroo, Hangout, Lollapalooza, Newport Folk Festival and Ohana Festival. Not to mention, she’s also appeared on HULU’s Your Attention Please: The Concert and landed prominent syncs on CSI: Vegas, This Is Us, Grey’s Anatomy, And Just Like That and Station 19, to name a few. Plus, she has joined forces with the likes of Chris Stapleton, Brandi Carlile, Maren Morris, Lucie Silvas, Noah Kahan and Jason Isbell for collaborations. Now, she takes stock of the trip so far on her highly anticipated forthcoming full-length album, Proof of Life [Amigo Records/Verve Forecast/Republic Records].