Sophia Michaels
Joy Oladokun and Chris Stapleton make for thrilling duet partners in the collaborative tune “Sweet Symphony,” the fourth new song that Oladokun has released this year.
Written by Oladokun with Mike Elizondo, Ian Fitchuk, and Shae Jacobs, “Sweet Symphony” more than lives up to its title. With its gently rising and falling set of major chords, the soulful midtempo tune evokes the experience of dropping one’s defenses and facing tough times together. “I let my walls down, lay my weapons on the floor,” Oladokun sings. Stapleton steps in for the second verse and chorus, then they join in harmony for a rousing final chorus that mirrors the idea of being “together through ups and the downs, dungeons and ivory towers.”
“‘Sweet Symphony’ is a song I wrote about the love that I got to witness my parents share as a kid,” Oladokun said in a statement. “It’s about the vulnerability, the fear, and the ups and downs that come from loving someone. Showing all of yourself so that someone else can accept and celebrate you is what it’s all about.”
Earlier in 2022, Oladokun released tracks including “Purple Haze,” “Fortune Favors the Bold,” and “Keeping the Light On.” None of those songs appear on Oladokun’s 2021 breakthrough In Defense of My Own Happiness, but there’s no word yet on when a follow-up album may be released. Currently, she is on tour with My Morning Jacket, who are set to play Nashville’s Ascend Amphitheater on Sept. 23.
