Thembi Joy is a singer/songwriter from Oklahoma City. With her appreciation of all genres, her music doesn’t fit in just one category. “My genre is a little bit of everything.” Thembi Joy says that singer/songwriter fits her brand the best.
The deep poetic lyrics plus a beautiful and soul-full voice, Thembi Joy’s music invokes emotion and thoughtfulness to the listener. With the authenticity of her lyrics, she sings with honesty, in order to invoke thoughtfulness.
Thembi Joy’s Beginnings as a Singer/Songwriter
Singing is something Thembi Joy has done her entire life. Thembi Joy recalls joining a worship band at church in highschool. Once she wrote her first full song at the age of 16, she decided it was time to stop hiding herself from the world. Thembi Joy writes music from experiences, traumas, and memories.
“I’m not afraid to say how I feel in front of the piano.”
Thembi Joy
When performing, these memories are brought to life in her music, recalling every moment she wrote each song. “I love the power of music,” Thembi Joy loves the way her music takes her back in time when she performs. When she travels back in time she recalls everything about each step in writing the song, including the feelings.
Photo by Mac Coplin
Thembi Joy’s Music Journey in Oklahoma
Thembi Joy took a year off to recover her voice after damaging it, but this is not the only challenge she faces. The music industry is very competitive anyways, but Thembi Joy reveals a lack of community in Oklahoma City.
“It can be really difficult to navigate, especially as a woman.”
Thembi Joy
Thembi Joy doesn’t let this stop her from supporting others like Liam Bernhard, Grayson Graham and Yzmn, who taught her, “Once you release a song it’s not yours anymore.” This refers to the fans who relate to the song. “It’s everybody’s song now.” Thembi Joy loves when fans can connect to her music.
Photo by Mac Coplin, artwork by Thembi Joy
Never Meant To Be, is Thembi Joy’s most recent release. “It’s a song about where I admit I am the villain.” Usually blaming the man in each relationship, Thembi Joy recalls that in some of these relationships, she was the one to blame. This song is her revelation about these past relationships, which many fans can find relatable.
Thembi Joy will be performing in Tulsa, Oklahoma, at the BurnCo Barbeque on March 22, making it her first show in Tulsa. You can see her perform Me and You, a song which is not released on streaming platforms. “You have to see me live to hear this one.” Thembi Joy says she has mixed feelings about releasing this one to the world. This is because it still brings out raw emotions in herself every time she plays.
Keep up with Oklahoma’s music scene via Respect My Region.
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