Jessie Ware’s Emotionally Raw New Track ‘Sam’ Was Co-Written By Ed Sheeran

Jessie Ware has made it clear during the lead-up to her upcoming album Glasshouse that the record is very much about how becoming a mother has changed her life in a variety of ways. “Sam,” the latest track to be shared from the album, is no exception, as it’s a vulnerable look at the new role love and motherhood has in her life.

The song was co-written with Ed Sheeran, and includes contributions from Chance The Rapper’s trumpet player Nico Segal, Francis of Francis And The Lights, and bassist Pino Palladino. She previously spoke about writing the song with Sheeran, saying he pushed her outside of her comfort zone:

“I worked with Ed Sheeran again [he co-wrote 2014’s ‘Say You Love Me’] on a song while I was pregnant — it was about me wanting to be a mother, but feeling that there’s this thing that’s gonna happen that I don’t understand. There was a line in the chorus and I was like, ‘I don’t know if I can say it.’ And [Sheeran was] like, ‘If it feels uncomfortable, then f*cking say it.'”

Ware went on to say that the chorus — “I hope I’m as brave as my mother, wondering what kind of mother will I be / I hope she knows that I’ve found a man far from my father / Sam, my baby, and me” — isn’t necessarily what it seems:

“And you know what? It’s true. My mum and dad, they didn’t work out. [My husband] Sam couldn’t be further from him. But it’s not me attacking my father. I mean, I love that Martha Wainwright [lyric], ‘You bloody motherf*cking asshole.’ But it’s not that.”

The song falls in line with what Ware previously said about the record and its personal nature:

“It’s quite a personal record, which I didn’t realize [when writing it]. I thought I was just writing songs, but it’s become this record that’s for my husband and my baby. It’s been a wild couple of years, and I feel like this album represents those ups and downs, the fear, the beauty, and the celebrations.”

Listen to “Sam” above.