Jessie Ware’s upcoming album That! Feels Good! is just days away from being released, and “Begin Again” is the third pre-release single shared from the album. Ware dropped “Begin Again” on April 14 along with a music video for the song. Even though “Begin Again” is the third song that fans have heard from That! Feels Good!, it is the song that, pun intended, seems to begin this new era the most.
Ware admitted this herself in an Instagram caption, writing, “Begin again is where this album started… it’s the song that I knew I wanted to make as soon as I finished Remember Where You Are.”
“Remember Where You Are” is a disco track from Ware’s 2020 album What’s Your Pleasure?, and the influence between “Remember Where You Are” and “Begin Again” is clear. While Ware does not use the exact same formula, she expands on the disco and soul elements from “Remember Where You Are” with “Begin Again.”
Over the course of her career, Ware has evolved into one of disco’s most prominent artists. “Begin Again” has Ware’s trademark disco sound with a dash of pop. A superficial listen of “Begin Again” makes the song seem like a love song as Ware wonders if a relationship can start again. However, a closer examination of the lyrics brings out an anti-capitalism message.
“Why do my realities take over all my dreams? / Why does all the purest love get filtered through machines? / Gimme something good that’s even better than it seems / Why does all the purest lovе get filtered through machinеs? / I work all night/ I do my thing,” Ware sings.
With this in mind, Ware then seems to be asking if it is possible to live a different life, singing, “Is this my life / Beginning or end? / Can I start again? / Can we start again?”
With Ware’s impeccably smooth vocals and the prominent instruments in the song’s production, “Begin Again” also feels like a contemporary musical theatre hit. The choreography-heavy music video for “Begin Again” echoes this sentiment.
In the music video, Ware performs the song on different stages and set pieces surrounded by dancers. The “Begin Again” music video also embraces the use of shadows and curtains that adds to the theatrical feel of the song.
Overall, “Begin Again” gives fans an idea of the vision Ware had when she first conceived the idea for her next album. If “Begin Again” is any indication, That! Feels Good! will be filled with sleek songs of escapism.
That! Feels Good! will be released on April 28.