They say love is complicated, but British singer Joy Crookes thinks love is simpler than some things in her morose video for “Mathematics” featuring grime pioneer Kano. “It’s not mathematics, it’s love,” she croons, as scenes from a relationship play out on screen. Crookes and Kano portray the lovers, who go from their initial get-together to the ultimate demise of their romance over the span of the video, which presents a series of vignettes that could play out through any great love.
The song is Crookes’ second single of 2025, following the vindictive “Pass The Salt,” which featured another pioneering rapper, Long Beach native Vince Staples. All signs point to Crookes prepping the release of her second studio album, the follow-up to 2021’s Skin, which helped put the South London singer on the map in a big way when it was nominated for the 2022 Mercury Prize and peaked at No. 5 on the UK Albums chart.
Crookes crossed over in the US in a big way with the viral success of her Skin single “Feet Don’t Fail Me Now,” which exploded on streaming in the wake of uprisings against systemic racism. That, in addition to her recent incorporation of more contemporary sounds into her ’60s soul-influenced style (such as collaborating with rappers), promises an even bigger breakout in 2025.
Watch the video for Joy Crookes’ “Mathematics” featuring Kano above.