What's Your Pleasure?

Released

Jessie Ware has paced her career impeccably. After coming to prominence singing with some of the most credible names in post-dubstep UK dance music (Joker, SBTRKT, Sampha), she released Devotion in 2012 — pre-empting a fascination with classy, moody 80s soft rock / soul production which would find its way into the work of megastars like Harry Styles and Miley Cyrus. After that she didn’t rush, taking two to three years between albums, each time shifting her sound a bit, but still scoring UK top ten hits with every one. And 2020’s What’s Your Pleasure in fact became her biggest album since Devotion — rightly, as its synth disco core captured a sense of club culture’s maturation and the songwriting remains as impeccable as ever. Occupying a space somewhere in between Kylie Minogue, Róisín Murphy and Dua Lipa it’s a perfect example of an artist growing up gracefully. Plus it got a second wind when its final track, the Rotary Connection inspired ballad “Remember Where you Are” and its gorgeous video, became a mini-anthem for those seeking connection in COVID-19 lockdown.

Joe Muggs