Released: April 28
Jessie Ware delivers an irresistible slice of pop perfection with her fifth LP, ‘That! Feels Good!’.
The follow-up to 2020’s ‘What’s Your Pleasure?’ picks up where the disco-influenced record left off, incorporating elements of soul and house, for a slick 10-track collection that’s without doubt her most accomplished album to date.
Opening with the title song – a rallying call to the dance floor that launches a non-stop run of feel good anthems – it segues into lead single Free Yourself; one of four collaborations with pop aficionado Stuart Price.
It’s a pairing sent from the pop gods, with the hitmaker – responsible for records such as Madonna’s ‘Confessions on a Dance Floor’ (2005) and Kylie Minogue’s ‘Aphrodite’ (2010) – and collaborator Coffee establishing the soundscape for the record, leaning into classic disco (Pearls) and mid tempo R&B (Lightning) influences while remaining true to Jessie’s artistic journey.
Of their tracks, Freak Me Now is an immediate highlight that turns up the heat amid a run of all-out bangers that invoke the strobe lights and sweat of the club dance floor at 2am.
Not only are Jessie’s vocals the best of her career, the confidence of her delivery peaks, with the spoken word verses and playful lyrics on Shake The Bottle a refreshing spritz amid an album that oozes sophistication while not taking itself too seriously.
Harking back to classic disco LPs from the likes of Donna Summer and The Three Degrees, ‘That! Feels Good!’ benefits from moments of respite, with the laidback Hello Love and gospel/soul influenced Begin Again arriving at opportune moments, proving Jessie’s versatility and highlighting the plethora of genres that played a pivotal role in the in the disco movement, along with its political significance, best referenced on the New York Ballroom-esque Beautiful People.
In today’s climate, a 10-track album of four-minute pop songs is practically unheard of, but in revisiting the formula Jessie delivers the perfect record, breathing a breath of fresh air into the commercial charts while paying homage to the icons that influenced her journey to becoming one of the UK’s premier artists of the past decade. It’s that good!
‘That! Feels Good!’ is out April 28 via EMI and available to pre-order now.
