Jessie Ware wants to talk about love, but she's not sugarcoating how difficult it can be. "I had to shatter to pieces/It made me reveal myself," the recently married London singer admits on "Pieces," an emotive highlight of her second album. But for all its vulnerability, Tough Love is tenacious, too, brimming with R&B grooves and a whole lot of soul. There are plenty of showcases for Ware's acrobatic vocals, which bounce all over the funkadelic "Sweetest Song" and slow dance with a string section on "Cruel." And when A-list modern-soul auteurs including Dev Hynes and Miguel lend their talents, they only complement the strengths that Ware continues to refine within herself.
Wavelength
Rate and discover music with friends
