Jessie Ware's sixth studio album, Superbloom, represents a bold departure from her earlier melancholic soul roots, plunging headfirst into a world of sensual disco and playful retro vibes. The British singer and podcast host has fully embraced a raunchier, more confident persona, with her third consecutive album of shimmering dancefloor anthems.
A Sensual Journey into Retro Disco
Copies of Superbloom should arguably come packaged with a beaded curtain to enhance the immersive experience of stepping into a late Seventies or early Eighties nightclub. This record builds meticulously upon the retro disco foundations laid by 2020's What's Your Pleasure? and 2023's That! Feels Good!, layering flirty flute melodies, boogie-ready bongos, deep basslines, strobing synth patterns, dramatic string arrangements, and ethereal chiffon-like vocals.
Confidence and Evolution
Now 41 years old and a mother of three, the London-born artist has shed the Sade-influenced, soul sadgirl image of her Mercury-nominated 2012 debut, Devotion. Fans of her popular Table Manners podcast will recognise the newfound confidence and embrace of fun that characterises this era. Accustomed to hosting A-list guests like Paul McCartney, Cher, Reese Witherspoon, and Kylie Minogue around her dinner table, the former journalist and backing singer is strutting confidently into her diva phase.
"I trust myself more," Ware revealed in an interview earlier this year, reflecting on how producer David Okumu once needed to "nurture" her during the Devotion sessions. Today, she prefers collaborators who "challenge" her, working with diva-approved producers including Stuart Price (Madonna, Dua Lipa), John Shave (Charli XCX, Britney Spears), and TommyD (Beyoncé, Kylie, Adele) on Superbloom.
Track-by-Track Sensuality
The album opener, "I Could Get Used To This," sets a playful tone with Ware promising "pleasure's just around the corner" over a fluid, plucked bassline. The track "Sauna" features a Giorgio Moroder-inspired throb, with Ware teasingly whispering, "I wanna whisper something naughty, take my clothes off in the party," accompanied by bubble-sizzle synth pulses and steamy vocal exhalations.
On "Ride," Ware manifests desire for "a cowboy... a stallion who can go all night" over handclaps and a sparkly, pitched-up sample from Ennio Morricone's theme for The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. She takes control with a cry of "Giddyup! Giddyup!" before hitting Shirley Bassey belter mode on "Mr Valentine," adorned with Prince-esque funk guitar flicks and melodic echoes of Irene Cara's "Fame" theme.
Vocal Mastery and Retro Homage
The rich melodrama and swirling strings reach an imperial intensity on "Don't Know Who I Am?", where Ware declares, "I'm the love of your life." Her singing remains remarkably fluent and flexible, avoiding unnecessary vocal runs or noodling, delivering notes cleanly to their satisfying conclusions. The title track sees her voice floating to stratospheric high notes over ecstatic backing vocals, evoking comparisons to a lost Minnie Riperton recording.
Critique and Context
Like the Pet Shop Boys, Ware excels at blending big emotions with a wry British sensibility. However, unlike them, she doesn't introduce much innovation to the genre. At times, the album sails perilously close to pastiche, with little to suggest it was crafted in 2026 rather than 1979. Every lyric could plausibly have been written during disco's heyday, raising questions about originality versus homage.
Yet, if that's the harshest criticism, then Ware is clearly acing her chosen aesthetic. In an era that could use a break from contemporary stresses, Superbloom offers a glittering escape. DJs should eagerly seek vinyl copies of what might be considered the best 1970s album of the 2020s, ready to drop onto their decks for nights of unabashed retro revelry.
