5B NEW MUSIC INTERVIEW_ CRAIG LUCAS

Craig Lucas is back with “Joyride”, his first release of 2026, and this one feels like a proper shift in energy. After years of trying to figure out where he fits in the South African music landscape, Craig says he’s reached a point where he’s less obsessed with the destination and more interested in enjoying the ride. The song is warm, nostalgic, simple on purpose, and built around this idea of freedom; not necessarily forever love, but the kind of right-now feeling where you stop overthinking long enough to actually feel something. So in this first part of the conversation, I want to get into the emotional engine of the song: the freedom, the vulnerability, the pop energy, and what it means to show up as you are; not as the perfect version of yourself, and still ask someone to come along for the ride.