Jess Glynne has told Music Week that she matured both personally and artistically while making her second album Always In Between.
Set to chart at No.1 later today, the record was racing towards 30,000 sales at the last midweek count. It follows 2015’s million-selling debut I Laugh When I Cry.
Speaking to Music Week as part of a cover story earlier this month, Glynne reflected on the making of the record, which involved “intense” sessions in Los Angeles followed by an intimate week-long stint in Sussex organised by Glynne.
“I’ve matured and grown as a person as well as an artist. I’ve learnt to accept myself for who I am and not concern myself with other people’s thoughts,” Glynne said.
“I’ve learned to be more open and also that keeping myself to myself isn’t a bad thing. Keeping a personal life is really important. I’m quite good at holding my own but it’s always a learning curve and I’m forever growing. But I do feel I’ve learned a lot.”
Glynne trailed Always In Between with I’ll Be There, which hit No.1, meaning the singer now holds seven chart-topping singles, a record for a British female. I’ll Be There has shifted 639,229 copies, according to the Official Charts Company.
“You can always evolve and change how you present yourself as an artist,” Glynne said. “I don’t have to be Jessica when I’m on stage and that’s really important. This album represents a journey of self-acceptance and me going through something everyone does, living ‘in-between’ and the struggles everyone goes through.”
This album represents a journey of self-acceptance
Jess Glynne
Reflecting on the Sussex recording sessions, Glynne added: “At the end of the week and my A&R came down, I played her different songs in different rooms in the house and I remember walking outside and her saying, ‘Well done your album’s finished.’ It was a very empowering moment.”
Earlier this week, Music Week sat down with Briony Turner, co-head of A&R at Atlantic to discuss the campaign.
Looking ahead to the future, Glynne – an official ambassador for National Album Day – revealed that she “gets a thrill from working” and hopes to “continue to make albums for a very long time”.
The singer hopes to help bring about change in the music industry too, and revealed that female artists come “under pressure” from the business.
“The pressures the industry puts on female artists could be different. I don’t think guys get it so hard,” Glynne said. “[It comes] from society, but a lot of it comes from the industry still thinking that sex sells. Guys don’t have to worry about that, but it’s still put on us as women and I wish it wasn’t. That’s something that made me really insecure in between albums.”
Subscribers can read our Jess Glynne cover interview in full here.
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