Having already proven her mettle in the Manchester spoken word scene and received plaudits from Guy Garvey and Tony Walsh, LIVO has spread ‘Queer Joy’ in her debut single, which puts a serene backdrop of 90s hip-hop nostalgia behind her wordplay that permeates the soul.
Tenderly vulnerable yet assertively euphoric candour lies at the core of Queer Joy, which celebrates the experience of living authentically and unapologetically hedonistically outside of the heteronormative hegemony and living vicariously.
Eloquently hitting a few raw nerves through the lyrical vignette which also touches on the most painful aspects of navigating a society which may have progressed in recent decades but still makes it difficult for queer people to find pride, in spite of the vibrant pageantry of Pride flags and events, Queer Joy leaves you sinking into LIVO’s presence, hanging off every syllable so articulately delivered.
Together with producer and composer Stanley Penrose, LIVO made an affecting debut with Queer Joy, which dropped ahead of her debut LP, The Age of Joy.
Queer Joy was officially released on April 12; stream the single on Spotify.
Review by Amelia Vandergast
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