With 5x platinum UK records, 5x BRIT nominations, and over a decade of club shows all over the world under his belt, Joel Corry is one of the most revered names in dance music. He made his breakthrough with 2019’s UK Top 10 single, ‘Sorry’, which also broke the all-time 24-hour Shazam record in the UK with over 41,000 recorded tags, paving the way for collaborations with the likes of David Guetta, Jax Jones, and Saweetie, as well as a further four Top 10 records – including 2020’s anthemic UK #1 single and global smash, ‘Head & Heart’ ft. MNEK. To celebrate the release of his new single, ‘History’ with Becky Hill, we had the pleasure of speaking with Joel on a number of topics.
Hey Joel, thanks for speaking with us, how are you doing today?
Hey guys, thanks for having me! I’m doing great, I’ve had an amazing summer. I’m out in Ibiza right now. The season is nearly over, so I’m going to finish my last few shows out here with a bang!
Let’s kick things off with your brand new single, ‘History’, alongside Becky Hill which just hit #1 in the UK. How happy are you with the finished product and it’s overwhelming positive response from your fans?
I’m so happy with the response to History. This record is really special to me and I feel like it’s the collab that everyone was waiting for. Becky is an absolute superstar and I had the best time working with her. We’ve been working hard together on this record for around six months, so we’re just buzzing to get it out to the world now.
Your first time working alongside Becky Hill, can you tell me how this single came about and what made you work with her for the first time?
Becky is a real icon of dance music. We crossed paths a few times at shows, and we finally managed to get in the studio together at the end of last year. HISTORY was the first idea we started working on and it stuck, which let me know it was the right one for us. I love the concept of the song and the lyrics. We’ve had the best time working together.
Now with countless smash hits under your belt, do you ever feel any pressure to keep the hits coming or does producing come naturally to you?
There is definitely pressure, but it’s a good thing. I love the pressure, it makes me work harder and up my game with everything I do. I just want to keep delivering the bangers for you guys to enjoy!
With each release, you’ve showcased a signature sound that blends pop dance elements with melodic electronic influences, how important is it for you as an artist to have your own sound?
I think it’s important that when people hear my records, they know it’s mine and they feel familiar with it. But it’s also important to bring a fresh sound to my releases in order to keep moving forward and develop my sound.
Are there any other genres in or out of the dance music world that you’d like to work on and release?
I’ve always taken inspiration from people like Calvin Harris. Calvin crossed genres from dance into pop, rnb, funk. He inspires me to have success in those different lanes. In the future I want to experiment for sure.
With a number of high-profile collabs in your catalog, what would be your one dream collab be?
Ed Sheeran. I think everyone knows I am a huge Ed Sheeran fan. I hung out with him after the MTV EMAS last year and got to know him a bit more, which was great. He also told me he was a big fan of my records, which I couldn’t believe. Who knows, maybe one day we’ll get in the studio together.
Over the past months, you’ve performed at major dance festivals such as EDC and Tomorrowland, what was the experience like performing on those stages?
It was a dream come true to perform at those iconic festivals. I’ve been working towards playing on those main stages my whole life. The feeling of adrenaline and electricity I get from being on the main stage, in front of that many people, is just amazing. I can’t really describe it. They were definitely some of my highlights of the year so far.
Thanks for taking the time to speak with us, do you have anything you’d like to reveal with our readers?
I’d just like to say a huge thanks to your readers for all your support! I might have some new music coming soon, so watch this space!
Stream ‘History’ below.
