Jessie Ware is making a pivot from soaring ballads to synth-heavy dancefloor bangers. She’s set the tone for her upcoming record, What’s Your Pleasure?, through a handful of revved-up singles. Now, just a day ahead of the record’s debut, Ware gives fans one last preview with the shimmering number “Soul Control.”
“Soul Control” opens with a clapping beat and rubbery keys before a funky bass guitar takes over. With her breathy vocals, Ware details the euphoria of dancefloor attraction. “Baby I see the future / It’s me and you / We got to stay in motion / Tell me what you want to do,” she sings.
In a 2018 interview with Billboard, Ware said she’s breaking into new territory with her upcoming album: “I feel really confident about the new music I’m doing. I don’t feel like I’m trying to impress or please anybody, I’m just making the music I feel like making. […] This whole new record is about fantasy and escapism. It’s for the fans who have been there for a start. It was funny seeing the comments from fans like, ‘At last! You’ve given us a groove, Jessie!’ It’s a record people can dance to or have sex to, I hope. […] I’m proud of everything I’ve done, but I needed some energy. I can sing ballads till the cows come home, but I also can do dance music, and it’s where I came from, so I just wanted to dip my toe back in that.”
Listen to “Soul Control” above.
What’s Your Pleasure? is out 6/26 via Virgin/Universal. Pre-order it here.
