Jessie Ware has spoken to NME about the “freedom” of her 2023 Mercury Prize shortlisted album ‘That! Feels Good‘, working with Kylie Minogue, and her bucketlist collaborations and podcast guests. Watch our interview above.
The London singer-songwriter was speaking at the launch of the Mercury Prize 2023, where her latest was shortlisted alongside albums by the likes of Arctic Monkeys, J Hus, RAYE, Jockstrap, Young Fathers, Shygirl, Fred Again.. and more.
No stranger to award ceremonies now, but insisting that her “mum nicks them” rather than letting her keep them on her own mantlepiece, Ware told NME of the honour of being shortlisted again after her previous nod in 2012 for debut album ‘Devotion‘.
“It’s nice to see brilliant artists and lovely to be amongst them,” she said. “It’s amazing to be up for my second Mercury a decade on, and I feel proud of myself.”
Ware explained how ‘That! Feels Good’ was inspired a sense of “freedom, confidence, empowerment, sensuality, pleasure – all of that jazz.”
“I had fun making it. It’s a celebratory record,” she said. “I’ve never really made a record like that; I was maybe too scared too. It just shows where I’m at as a woman in music.”
Looking to how that “freedom” might inspire next record, Ware revealed: “I think I know what direction I want to go in. I do feel free, and that’s wonderful feeling when you’re five albums in – to be feeling like it’s limitless, what I can do.”
The album is opened by the title track featuring pop icon Kylie Minogue – who Ware described as “fab”, “great” and “amazing”.
“I love her! She’s so professional, she is brilliant, and she’s really good at picking up dance moves really quickly, but she’s Kylie Minogue,” Ware continued. “There’s me being like, ‘One, two step’, and she’s already got it. She’s a lovely human being and I’m so proud of her with the success of ‘Padam Padam‘.”
Asked if they had plans to work together again, Ware replied: “Yeah, I reckon. I’m really enjoying the fact I’m with Róisín Murphy at the moment and have a record [‘Freak Me Now’] out with her.
“I’m just working with my icons and that’s an amazing thing to be able to say that I’m doing. Kylie one year, Róisín Murphy the next, Cher maybe next year? Barbra Streisand? I don’t know!”
While hoping to work with her fellow Mercury nominees Shygirl, Ezra Collective, Loyle Corner, Olivia Dean, RAYE, Ware also spoke of her dream guests on her NME Award-winning podcast Table Manners, which she co-hosts with her mother Lennie.
“We still want Marcus Rashford, and he’s really hard to get,” she said. “I wouldn’t mind Gareth Southgate after seeing the play at The National. We want footballers, and they’re all really hard to get.”
“We’ve had Sir Paul McCartney, Noel Gallagher and Dolly Parton, so we’re doing alright. Bill Murray would be fab, but it could go one way or the other, but it would be amazing.
Pushed for suggestions, NME suggested Björk.
“Imagine Lennie with Björk!” she replied. “That would be interesting, and I now am putting it on the bucketlist. Thank you.”
The winner of the Mercury Prize will be announced at a live ceremony at London’s Eventim Apollo on September 7.