Victory‘s eclectic singing and songwriting output draws on the soul, jazz, folk, and gospel music she learned growing up as a performer in family groups including Infinity Song. Possessing a distinctively rich, honeyed rasp, she made her solo recording debut on Jay-Z‘s Roc Nation label with the EP It’s a New Dawn in 2017. She followed it with the warm, soul-injected adult pop of her full-length debut, 2018’s The Broken Instrument. After working with Kanye West during sessions for his 2019 album, Jesus Is King, she returned with a more ambitious and spiritual solo album, Glory Hour (2023), which included spoken recitations, electronics, and a more devoted gospel bearing.
Victory Elyse Boyd is one of nine siblings who grew up singing in the Boys & Girls Choir of Detroit, a group founded by her father, John Boyd. Victory started performing with the choir at the age of four. She later studied jazz guitar. The family moved from Detroit to North Bergen, New Jersey when she was 12, and they started busking together under various monikers, including Peace Industry Music Group, at New York City tourist attractions and subway platforms. The family eventually became known for appearing regularly in the Minton Tile Arcade next to Bethesda Fountain, a spot favored for its acoustics.
An offshoot of the group, Infinity Song, was formed by Victory with her older brother Abraham and younger sister Angel. Sometimes adding other members of the family to the lineup, Infinity Song rose to national prominence in 2015 after pop singer Tori Kelly came across them one day in Central Park. Kelly joined in, an event captured on video by a fan, which led to an appearance by Kelly and Infinity Song on the ABC morning show The View. Also in 2015, Peace Industry Music Group released Infinity Song‘s eponymous debut LP. A year later, the family performed for Jay-Z, who quickly signed them to his Roc Nation label.
Drawing some comparisons to idol Nina Simone for both her unusual voice and jazzy proclivities, Victory made her solo debut in 2017 with the Roc Nation-issued EP It’s a New Dawn. The title was taken from her favorite line in Simone‘s song “Feeling Good,” which she covered on the release. With production by hip-hop artist 9th Wonder, Victory‘s warm full-length debut, The Broken Instrument, followed in 2018. While mostly self-produced, it involved an array of collaborators, among them her father, Jon Batiste, and horn and string sections.
Victory soon accepted an invitation to work with Kanye West on material for his 2019 album, Jesus Is King, ultimately earning a songwriting credit on “Closed for Sunday.” (The song “Glory” featuring Boyd was recorded but not included on the album.) Inspired by the experience to take more chances, her next album was a more artful one that included spoken word segments, atmospheric electronics, and more passionate, gospel-minded performances. Produced by Kaleb Moten, who also co-wrote some of the songs, Glory Hour arrived on Roc Nation in May 2023.
Written by Marcy Donelson
MARIA JACKSON 27 MAGAZINE 