Jessie Ware : Superbloom
Jessie Ware‘s experienced a unique rise to prominence. Her 2012 debut Devotion introduced her as soulful new voice in the post-Adele British music landscape. Across two more albums, 2014’s Tough Love and 2017’s Glasshouse, she plied her trade as a talented sophisti-pop singer who luxuriated in sultry, low-key torch songs while also collaborating with some top indie electro producers looking to elevate their music with a singular voice. With the advent of What’s Your Pleasure? in 2020, Ware entered her disco diva era, conjuring up 12 tracks of lusty, mature hedonism, which she then doubled down on with some ass-shaking grooves on 2023’s That! Feels Good!—complete with a luxurious, whip-cracking tour she was unable to take three years earlier because of the pandemic.
On her sixth album, she continues to dance with the one who brought you while also investigating new sounds and ideas. Superbloom is an elegant and libidinous record pulsing with a delicious blend of post-disco bops, sensual R&B, and glitzed-out balladry. The huge grooves of the prior two projects provide the same firm foundation, as Ware pays continual homage to the sounds of the ‘70s. Her immaculate voice carries the day, complete with melismatic performances that intoxicate the ears and impressive wordplay that barely masks the double entendres.
It helps that the name of this musical game is hedonistic dance, as the crisp pop arrangements utterly pulse with power. The rhythm section dictates the mood, as the bass lines feel thicker than ever, while the snare snaps and layered percussion elements bounce with abandon. From there, rich strings provide a lavish warmth atop an eager Greek chorus of background vocalists. The result is a set of songs that revere their sonic roots, thanks to plenty of clear hooks, production flourishes, and artistic oomph to spare.
Yet, what I love most about Superbloom is how it serves as a nuanced bridge between decades. Yes, there are plenty of electric tracks here absolutely begging for house remixes that would have flooded Studio 54, but she also introduces a rich appreciation for smooth ‘80s electro-soul. For each Donna Summer-like song like “I Could Get Used to This,” we get a Chaka Khan-esque “Don’t You Know Who I Am?,” and for every Gloria Gaynor-style “Automatic,” we get some Sade-inspired “Mon Amour.”
Lyrically, Ware keeps her tongue firmly in cheek while embracing a refreshing sensuality. In the title track, she employs Georgia O’Keefe by declaring, “Every day, just like before / Don’t let me go / Give me that superbloom.” With “Sauna,” she states, “If you wanna last longer / I don’t need faster, I need stronger / Take it to the sauna.” And on “Ride,” not only do we get a fun spaghetti western synth line, but she croons the chorus, “Jump on the saddle, baby, hold on tight / I need a stallion who can go all night / Someone to come and blow my mind.”
Jessie Ware has given each of her three most recent, disco-heavy albums a clear identity: the first was a surprise stylistic shift, while the second found her pleasing fans and convincing detractors. With Superbloom, she has pushed her musical ideas in fresh directions without losing any of the joie de vivre of the first two. Combining Moroder, Labelle, Gaye, and Minogue with unabashed glee, Superbloom presents Ware at her most uninhibited.
Label: Universal
Year: 2026
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Jessie Ware : Superbloom
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