Billboard Magazine

the beat WorldMags.net SPOTLIGHT “I’m ready to show more of myself,” says Ware, photographed July 14 at Mondrian Soho in New York. For an exclusive ‘It’s Like interview and behind- the-scenes video, go to Billboard.com or A Therapy Billboard.com/ipad. Session’ Aiming for a bigger breakthrough, British soul star Jessie Ware lets loose on her second album, Tough Love BY OWEN MYERS FTER JESSIE WARE BROKE THROUGH with her 2012 debut, Devotion, everyone wanted a piece of her. For the British Asinger’s sophomore set, Tough Love (Oct. 21, PMR/Friends Keep Secrets/Interscope), Ed Sheeran came from Saturday Night Live rehearsals to work on the soaring “Say You Love Me”; Miguel took a break from penning his new album to co- write “Kind Of … Sometimes … Maybe” and “You & I (Forever)”; and The xx’s Romy Madley Croft helped craft minimalist bonus cut “Share It All.” But that’s not all that has changed for Ware, 29, who married childhood sweetheart Sam Burrows on the Greek island of Skopelos in August: This time, she’s fi nally ready to be herself — even it means criticizing her old look. “It’s so camp!” she exclaims, eyeing the heav- ily stylized image of her rocking a double-stacked bun on the cover of a vinyl copy of Devotion in her spacious south London home. “It’s slightly drag queen actually, now that I look at it. It felt like armor; I was transforming into this thing. This time I thought, ‘I don’t need the mask as much.’ ” Letting her hair down suits Tough Love’s velvet- lined R&B anthems, which Ware wraps in her molasses-rich voice (often compared to Sade’s). Working with executive producers BenZel — SUMMER SUMMER SUMMER 60. 4immu, London beatmaster Two Inch Punch (Sam Smith) STAGE[]; STAGE= STAGE= AGEE; to sing along to heartbreak anthems from Barbra and American pop whiz Benny Blanco (Katy Perry, Streisand and Aretha Franklin — not that her tastes Kesha) — she steers listeners in unexpected direc- -wetc f. ETA were entirely discerning. “I wouldn’t say I was very tions, as subtle midtempos evolve into big ballads highbrow or anything,” says Ware. “I gave up on or beat-driven workouts with stealth potential to piano lessons because my teacher smelled of tuna.” fi ll dancefl oors. On Devotion, her sonic palette was Before her music took off , Ware worked as a sports smaller, and her exterior slightly steely: Ware only journalist for London’s The Jewish Chronicle, until became a diva with practice. a collaboration with electronic producer SBTRKT, “I didn’t know if anyone was going to like it,” she 2010’s Friday-night-ready “Nervous,” led to a recalls of her early music. “But after two years of recording deal and backup vocal work for Florence touring under my belt, singing every night, I was Above: Ware with (from & The Machine. Her solo breakouts “If You’re like, ‘I’m ready to show more of myself.’ I prob- left) Disclosure’s Guy Never Gonna Move” and “Wildest Moments” made and Howard Lawrence, ably wouldn’t have been able to do that on the fi rst and Smith. Left: Ware her a critical darling. But on Tough Love, she’s aiming record. Now, I let it rip: It’s like a therapy session.” on the cover for her higher, partly because of a much-needed ego boost In some ways, she’s carrying on the Ware family’s debut album, Devotion. from one of her collaborators. “Miguel told me, Today she describes penchant for expression. Her father is former BBC the image as a “mask” ‘I want people to hear how confi dent you are as a journalist John Ware; her sister, Hannah, is an she was hiding behind. woman.’ I was like, ‘Really? I don’t want to look too actress (ABC drama series Betrayal, Starz’ Boss, cocky.’ And he was like, ‘Yeah — look at you!’ fi lm Old Boy). As for Jessie, she found her calling by “I would never have done that myself,” she adds raiding her social worker mother’s record collection EVOT ION with a laugh. “It would have felt very un-British!” 0 42 BILLBOARD | OCTOBER 25, 2014 WorldMags.net PHOTOGRAPHED BY CHRISTOPHER FERGUSON.

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