Jesse & Joy (Spanish pronunciation:[ˈɟʝesiiˈʝoj]) is a Mexican popduo formed in 2005 by brother and sister Jesse (born December 31, 1982, as Jesse Eduardo Huerta Uecke[1]) and Joy (born June 20, 1986,[2] as Tirzah Joy Huerta Uecke[3]), in Mexico City. The duo have released five studio albums, one live album and one EP on Warner Music Latin, have toured internationally, and have accumulated a Best Latin Pop Album Grammy Award and six Latin Grammy Awards in various categories.
"Jesse & Joy are probably some of the purest, most talented artists of our generation," wrote Latin Times.[4]
Early life and career
The Huerta Uecke siblings were born in Mexico City to a Mexican father and an American mother.[5] In 2001, inspired by their parents' love for classic, rock and folk music, when they were 18 and 15 years old, respectively, they began writing music and songs with their father using instruments from his church, which they attended when they were young.
Jesse & Joy signed with the Warner Music Latina group on April 18, 2005.[1] Jesse plays piano and guitar, while Joy plays guitar, drums and is the lead vocalist.[6]
In 2008, the duo released the Esto Es Lo Que SoyEP featuring "Espacio Sideral", "Ya No Quiero", "Volveré", "Llegaste Tú", and a new song called "Esto Es Lo Que Soy".
In 2009, their second studio album, Electricidad, was released. The album was certified gold by the AMPROFON and included singles "Adiós" and "Chocolate".
¿Con Quién Se Queda El Perro?
¿Con Quién Se Queda El Perro? was released as their third studio album in 2011. The album was certified 2× platinum, and included singles "Me Voy", "¡Corre!" and "La de la Mala Suerte". It received six Latin Grammy Awards and five nominations, as well as the group's first Grammy Award nomination for Best Latin Pop Album.[9]
At the end of 2015, the pop duo released their fourth studio album titled “Un Besito Más ,”[11] which went to Number One on the Latin Albums Chart.[12] The group toured the United States, Latin America, and Spain to support the album,[13] as well as solidifying their base with shows in Latin America. The album, produced by Fraser T Smith and Martin Terefe (Jason Mraz, James Morrison, and Shawn Mendes), included the song, "Un Besito Mas", which Jesse & Joy wrote after their father's death and is depicted in the video highlighting the US immigration issues.[14]
The release, shortly after, of their first-ever English songs, "Echoes of Love" and "More Than Amigos", extended the band's reach to the United Kingdom when the songs were playlisted on BBC Radio 1.[18]
The Independent in the UK described album opener "Echoes of Love" as “true to their Latin/folk roots while introducing distinctly Adele-style epicness to the vocals”.[19]
In mid-2016, Jesse & Joy gained mainstream attention with the release of their first dual-language album, Jesse & Joy which contained English versions of songs from their past four studio releases and biggest hits such as “Corre! (Run!)”, “Espacio Sideral (Outer Space)", "Ecos de Amor (Echoes of Love)”,[5][20] among others. The English/Spanish album was a logical step for the siblings, as Jesse later said: "I was blessed to be raised in a bi-cultural home. It showed me, from a young age, the beauty and power that lies in diversity, and working with my sister every day I experience the power that lies in unity: ‘Together we are stronger.’ All it takes is a little more time to understand and learn from one another."[14]
At the 2017 American Grammy Award ceremony they received further mainstream recognition with their first-ever Grammy Award for Best Latin Pop Album honoring Un Besito Más, and in Joy's acceptance speech she dedicated the achievement to "all the Hispanics out there."[21][22][8]
The duo received the 2018 Vision Award that September at the 31st Annual Hispanic Heritage Awards, which aired on PBS that month. The award recognizes Latinos with major contributions in music.[14]
Aire
The two artists signed a deal with Kobalt Music for their worldwide publishing beginning with their 2018 single, "Te Esperé".[30]
Throughout May 2019, Jesse & Joy toured Mexico including another sold-out performance at Auditorio Nacional.[33]
Joy was recognized by the Latin Recording Academy as one at the Leading Ladies of Entertainment at a gala June 2019 that took place in Mexico City. The honor, for Latinas who "during their lives have demonstrated enthusiasm, determination, leadership, pride in their roots and an indomitable spirit in continuous form,"[34] that included Tatiana Bilboa, Martha de Bayle, Alondra de la Parra, and Soumaya Slim Domit.[35]
Jesse & Joy continue to tour in 2019, with shows in Latin American and the United States.[36][37][38]
On May 6, 2022, Jesse & Joy released a new album.[40]
Personal lives
In the beginning of 2019, Joy publicly came out as pansexual and announced she had been married to her wife, Diana Atri, for 7 years. In May, Atri gave birth to their daughter, Noah.[41][42] In March 2021, she announced the birth of their second child, a son named Nour.[43]
Jesse is married to his wife Monica, with whom he has two daughters: Hanna and Abby.[44]
Philanthropy
Jesse & Joy maintain an ongoing partnership with UnidosUS (formerly NCLR), the Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization, and their “Electrify The Vote!". They performed acoustic shows in California, Texas, and Arizona intended to mobilize Latinos to vote.[45] In addition, the musicians initiated personal recovery efforts following earthquakes in Mexico.[4][46]
Discography
Studio albums
List of studio albums, with selected chart positions, certifications and sales figures
^ ab"Biografía de Jesse" (in Spanish). Sociedad de Autores y Compositores de México. Archived from the original on December 25, 2013. Retrieved February 13, 2013.
^"Biografía de Joy" (in Spanish). Sociedad de Autores y Compositores de México. Archived from the original on March 8, 2014. Retrieved February 13, 2013.
^"Top 100 Mexico"(PDF). Asociación Mexicana de Productores de Fonogramas y Videogramas. Archived from the original(PDF) on August 23, 2013. Retrieved March 7, 2012.
