Jessie Ware. Photo by Jack Grange
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Jessie Ware's pop talents weren't exactly a secret when she first emerged. Her debut album Devotion is peppered with moments like "Sweet Talk," a glittering synth ode to puppy love still progressive by today's standards, and one of the songs that made it clear stuffing her in the "post-Sade crooner" box wasn't accurate. On her 2020 project What's Your Pleasure she became a mirror ball incarnate, a mood she's carried into this year on her new single "Free Yourself."
The liberation in "Free Yourself" is something that may sound a bit familiar, but it's not less urgent. This is Ware stepping into the shoes of Donna Summer and Gloria Gaynor, groundbreaking artists who gave listeners courage through party music. Ware chases that catharsis, urging self-love over sweeping, classic disco production from Stuart Price, all sharp keyboard chords and rich electronic drums. "You are a name, not a number" she vamps on the bridge "Extraordinary colours / Don't you hide under cover, baby." When the hook hits, Ware commits body and soul to the song's premise: to do what feels right, especially if someone's placed an insurmountable obstacle in your way.
“’Free Yourself’ is the beginning of a new era for me,” Ware says in a press release. “I’m so excited for people to have this song for the end of their summer; to dance, to feel no inhibitions & to feel joyful because that’s how I’ve been feeling recently being able to tour again and being able to sing again. Enjoy yourself, Free Yourself!”
