Devotion (Jessie Ware Album)
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''Devotion'' is the debut studio album by British singer-songwriter
Jessie Ware Jessica Lois Ware (born 15 October 1984) is an English singer and songwriter. She came to prominence following the release of her debut studio album, '' Devotion'' (2012), which peaked at number five on the UK Albums Chart and produced the sing ...
. It was released in the United Kingdom on 20 August 2012, by
PMR Records PMR Records is an independent record label founded by Ben and Daniel Parmar in 2011. Initially building recognition as a quintessentially British outlet plugged in to local dance/electronic music culture, with a keen awareness of the trajectory ...
and
Island Records Island Records is a multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It was founded in Jamaica by Chris Blackwell, Graeme Goodall, and Leslie Kong in 1959, and was eventually sold to PolyGram in 1989. Island and A&M Records, another ...
, and in the United States on 16 April 2013, by Cherrytree and
Interscope Records Interscope Records is an American record label based in Santa Monica, California, owned by Universal Music Group through its Interscope Geffen A&M imprint. Founded in late 1990 by Jimmy Iovine and Ted Field as a $20 million joint venture ...
. Production for the album came primarily from
Dave Okumu David Jairus Ochieng Okumu (born 12 October 1976) is an Austrian singer, songwriter, producer and guitarist, best known for fronting the band the Invisible. His debut album, released in March 2009, was nominated for a Mercury Prize (2009) and s ...
of
alternative rock Alternative rock (also known as alternative music, alt-rock or simply alternative) is a category of rock music that evolved from the independent music underground of the 1970s. Alternative rock acts achieved mainstream success in the 1990s w ...
band
The Invisible The Invisible may refer to: * ''The Invisible'' (2002 film), a Swedish thriller film by Joel Bergvall and Simon Sandquist based on Mats Wahl’s YA novel * ''The Invisible'' (2007 film), a Swedish-American thriller film based on the book and the 20 ...
, alongside
house A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air c ...
Record producer
Julio Bashmore Mathew Stephen Walker, better known by the stage name Julio Bashmore, is an English house music producer and DJ. Discography Albums * 2015: "Knockin' Boots" (Broadwalk Records) Singles and EPs * 2009: ''Julio Bashmore EP'' ( Dirtybird Records ...
and
Kid Harpoon Thomas Edward Percy Hull (born 20 April 1982), known professionally as Kid Harpoon, is a British songwriter, record producer, and musician. In 2023, he won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year and the Brit Award for Songwriter of the Year for ...
with contribution from Wilma Archer, fellow UK musician and collaborator
Sampha Sampha Lahai Sisay (born 16 November 1988) is a British singer, songwriter, musician and record producer from Morden, South London. Sampha has collaborated with Drake, Kendrick Lamar, Frank Ocean, SBTRKT, Jessie Ware, Alicia Keys, Gorillaz, ...
and Hassan Hamandi, while Ware co-wrote most of the album tracks' lyrics. The album was re-released under the title "''Devotion – The Gold Edition''" on 15 April 2013 in the United Kingdom, containing a bonus disc with four tracks, including a new single, "
Imagine It Was Us "Imagine It Was Us" is a song recorded by British singer Jessie Ware for the re-release of her debut studio album, titled '' Devotion – The Gold Edition''. The song was released in the United Kingdom as a digital download on 12 April 2013. The ...
" and "Valentine" – a previously released collaboration with musician Sampha in 2011. One day later, this version was released in the United States under its original title with a slightly different track list, omitting the latter track while including a remix version of "
Wildest Moments "Wildest Moments" is a song by British singer Jessie Ware from her debut studio album, ''Devotion'' (2012). It was written by Ware and Kid Harpoon, while production was helmed by the latter and Dave Okumu. "Wildest Moments "was released in the Uni ...
", which features American rapper
A$AP Rocky Rakim Athelaston Mayers (born October 3, 1988), known professionally as ASAP Rocky ( ; stylized as A$AP Rocky), is an American rapper. Born and raised in Harlem, he embarked on his musical career as a member of the hip hop collective ASAP Mo ...
. Upon its release, ''Devotion'' received critical acclaim from various critics for its "sophisticated, smooth and sensual" production, further citing the album as a "uniquely soulful masterclass". Ware's vocal performance also received positive remarks, with music critics praising her being "faithful to melody over melisma" and her background as a backing vocalist. The album was eventually chosen as the twentieth best album of 2012, and later recognized as one of the 100 best albums of the decade so far by ''
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'' in August 2014. The release of ''Devotion'' also helped Ware earn her first nomination for the Album of the Year category at the 2012 Mercury Prize award, as well as other Best Female Artists and Breakthrough nominations at
MOBO Awards The MOBO Awards (Music of Black Origin, also known as the MOBOs) are an annual British music award presentation honouring achievements in " music of black origin", including hip hop, grime, UK Drill, R&B, soul, reggae, jazz, gospel, and Ba ...
and BRIT Awards. It also attained commercial success for Ware, becoming her first top-five entry on the
UK Albums Chart The Official Albums Chart is the United Kingdom's industry-recognised national record chart for album, albums. Entries are ranked by sales and audio streaming. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the O ...
, her first to receive a Gold certificate and to date, her best-selling release. The album was also her first entry on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart, peaking at number seventy-nine for one week, while being her first and only top-ten album to date on the Belgium Albums (Ultratop Flanders) chart, peaking at number eight. It also received a Platinum certificate in Poland, where it peaked at number thirteen on the Polish Albums Chart. Six singles have been released from ''Devotion'' to further promote the project, starting with "
Running Running is a method of terrestrial locomotion by which humans and other animals move quickly on foot. Running is a gait with an aerial phase in which all feet are above the ground (though there are exceptions). This is in contrast to walkin ...
" on 24 February 2012, with "
If You're Never Gonna Move "If You're Never Gonna Move" is a song recorded by British singer Jessie Ware for her debut studio album ''Devotion''. The synth-pop and R&B track was co-written by Ware and UK producer Julio Bashmore, which originally contained a sample from "T ...
" and "
Wildest Moments "Wildest Moments" is a song by British singer Jessie Ware from her debut studio album, ''Devotion'' (2012). It was written by Ware and Kid Harpoon, while production was helmed by the latter and Dave Okumu. "Wildest Moments "was released in the Uni ...
" followed en suite prior to the album release in August 2012. The latter two singles became a breakthrough success for Ware, earning the singer her first two top-fifty entries on the UK Singles Chart. "
Night Light A nightlight is a small light fixture, usually electrical, placed for comfort or convenience in dark areas or areas that may become dark at certain times, such as at night or during an emergency. Small long-burning candles serving a similar fun ...
" and "Sweet Talk" were released as the album's fourth and fifth single, with the former becoming Ware's third top 100 entry on the UK Singles Chart upon its release. With the reissue of the album taking place on 15 April 2013 in the United Kingdom, "Imagine It Was Us" was released as the sixth and final single from the album, attaining minor success on both the UK Singles Chart and
French Singles Chart SNEP (, in English National Syndicate of Phonographic Publishing) is the inter-professional organisation that protects the interests of the French record industry. Originally known under the acronym SNICOP, the organisation was established in ...
. To further promote the album, Ware signed a distribution deal with Cherrytree Records in October 2012, which eventually led to several live gigs for the singer between December 2012 and January 2013, with follow-up tour dates which includes her participation at the
Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival Coachella (officially called the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and sometimes known as Coachella Festival) is an annual music and arts festival held at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, in the Coachella Valley in the Colora ...
, and
Wireless Festival ''Wireless'' Festival is an annual rap and hip-hop music festival that takes place in London, England, which is owned and managed by Live Nation Entertainment, Live Nation. Debuting in 2005, the festival's earlier years primarily featured rock an ...
in the same year.


Background and release

In the years prior to releasing her first solo album, Ware did backing vocals at live shows for
Jack Peñate Jack Peñate (born 2 September 1984) is an English singer, songwriter, producer, and musician. Early life Peñate was born in London on 2 September 1984, the son of an English mother and a Spanish father. His maternal grandfather was author M ...
(who took her on tour in America) and Man Like Me. She "learned a lot" from Jack Peñate during her time. It was musician
Tic A tic is a sudden and repetitive motor movement or vocalization that is not rhythmic and involves discrete muscle groups. Tics are typically brief and may resemble a normal behavioral characteristic or gesture. Tics can be invisible to the obs ...
, one of Peñate's bandmates, who first introduced Ware to UK electronic producer SBTRKT; whom in turn collaborated with Ware on the 2010s single "Nervous". She would go on to consequently meet fellow British musician
Sampha Sampha Lahai Sisay (born 16 November 1988) is a British singer, songwriter, musician and record producer from Morden, South London. Sampha has collaborated with Drake, Kendrick Lamar, Frank Ocean, SBTRKT, Jessie Ware, Alicia Keys, Gorillaz, ...
, most known as SBTRKT's main collaborator and live member, and together the duo worked on " Valentine", which was released on a special edition, heart-shaped vinyl by
Young Turks The Young Turks (, also ''Genç Türkler'') formed as a constitutionalist broad opposition-movement in the late Ottoman Empire against the absolutist régime of Sultan Abdul Hamid II (). The most powerful organization of the movement, ...
on 2011's
Valentine's Day Valentine's Day, also called Saint Valentine's Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine, is celebrated annually on February 14. It originated as a Christian feast day honoring a Christian martyrs, martyr named Saint Valentine, Valentine, and ...
. An accompanying music video for the collaboration was directed by Marcus Söderlund, and released on the same day via the YouTube channel of Young Turks. Along with "Nervous", "Valentine" and "The Vision (Let Me Breathe)", another collaboration with DJ Joker, led Ware to a record deal with
PMR Records PMR Records is an independent record label founded by Ben and Daniel Parmar in 2011. Initially building recognition as a quintessentially British outlet plugged in to local dance/electronic music culture, with a keen awareness of the trajectory ...
in the same year. The singer was also featured on ''
Ceremonials ''Ceremonials'' is the second studio album by English indie rock band Florence and the Machine. It was released on 28 October 2011 by Island Records. The band started working on the album in 2010 and finished it in 2011. The standard edition of ...
'', the 2011 album by British indie rock band
Florence and the Machine Florence and the Machine (stylised as Florence + the Machine) are an English indie rock band formed in London in 2007 by lead vocalist Florence Welch, keyboardist Isabella Summers, guitarist Rob Ackroyd, drummer Christopher Lloyd Hayden and harp ...
, in which her good friend
Florence Welch Florence Leontine Mary Welch
(born 28 ...
is the lead singer, having contributed and credited as a backing vocalist for seven tracks on the album, with four of which were released as singles to promote the album. Following her record deal with PMR Records, Ware released her first physical single as a solo artist, titled "Strangest Feeling" on 21 November 2011, further confirming that she was "hard at work" on her first studio album, which was due to release "some time" in 2012. The singer then announced the title of her first full-length album to be ''Devotion'', which was scheduled to be released on 20 August 2012. The album contained eleven tracks on its standard edition and four additional tracks on its
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deluxe edition, and was released on a singular jewel case version. A 2-disc version was released exclusively in Poland on 4 December 2012, with an additional bonus CD containing four tracks from the iTunes deluxe edition, two acoustic versions of "
Running Running is a method of terrestrial locomotion by which humans and other animals move quickly on foot. Running is a gait with an aerial phase in which all feet are above the ground (though there are exceptions). This is in contrast to walkin ...
" and "
Night Light A nightlight is a small light fixture, usually electrical, placed for comfort or convenience in dark areas or areas that may become dark at certain times, such as at night or during an emergency. Small long-burning candles serving a similar fun ...
" recorded at The Agnieszka Osiecka Music Studio of Polish Radio, and a remix to "Running" created by UK electronic duo
Disclosure Disclosure may refer to: Arts and media Film and television *'' CBC News: Disclosure'', a television newsmagazine series in Canada * ''Disclosure'' (1994 film), an American erotic thriller film based on the 1994 novel by Michael Crichton * ''Dis ...
. The album was later re-released in the United Kingdom under the title ''The Gold Edition'', which saw the addition of the previous Disclosure remix for "Running", her 2011 collaboration "Valentine" with Sampha, a remix to the third single "
Wildest Moments "Wildest Moments" is a song by British singer Jessie Ware from her debut studio album, ''Devotion'' (2012). It was written by Ware and Kid Harpoon, while production was helmed by the latter and Dave Okumu. "Wildest Moments "was released in the Uni ...
" with guest verses from American rapper
A$AP Rocky Rakim Athelaston Mayers (born October 3, 1988), known professionally as ASAP Rocky ( ; stylized as A$AP Rocky), is an American rapper. Born and raised in Harlem, he embarked on his musical career as a member of the hip hop collective ASAP Mo ...
and a new song, titled "Imagine It Was Us", which was released as the sixth and final overall single from the album. The latter two tracks were later included on the United States edition of the album, released on 16 April 2013, a day after the album's re-issue date in the UK.


Composition

Except for the fifth track "No to Love", which was written and produced solely by Okumu, Ware co-wrote most of the album tracks' lyrics. Production for ''Devotion'' came primarily from
Dave Okumu David Jairus Ochieng Okumu (born 12 October 1976) is an Austrian singer, songwriter, producer and guitarist, best known for fronting the band the Invisible. His debut album, released in March 2009, was nominated for a Mercury Prize (2009) and s ...
of
alternative rock Alternative rock (also known as alternative music, alt-rock or simply alternative) is a category of rock music that evolved from the independent music underground of the 1970s. Alternative rock acts achieved mainstream success in the 1990s w ...
band
the Invisible The Invisible may refer to: * ''The Invisible'' (2002 film), a Swedish thriller film by Joel Bergvall and Simon Sandquist based on Mats Wahl’s YA novel * ''The Invisible'' (2007 film), a Swedish-American thriller film based on the book and the 20 ...
, whom produced twelve out of fourteen original recordings used for the album. Fellow British
house A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air c ...
record producer
Julio Bashmore Mathew Stephen Walker, better known by the stage name Julio Bashmore, is an English house music producer and DJ. Discography Albums * 2015: "Knockin' Boots" (Broadwalk Records) Singles and EPs * 2009: ''Julio Bashmore EP'' ( Dirtybird Records ...
and singer
Kid Harpoon Thomas Edward Percy Hull (born 20 April 1982), known professionally as Kid Harpoon, is a British songwriter, record producer, and musician. In 2023, he won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year and the Brit Award for Songwriter of the Year for ...
also co-produced along with Okumu, with Bashmore handling solely the production of " 110%" and Wilma Archer co-producing the eleventh track "Something Inside". Fellow UK musician and collaborator
Sampha Sampha Lahai Sisay (born 16 November 1988) is a British singer, songwriter, musician and record producer from Morden, South London. Sampha has collaborated with Drake, Kendrick Lamar, Frank Ocean, SBTRKT, Jessie Ware, Alicia Keys, Gorillaz, ...
and Hassan Hamandi also contributed to two songs from the deluxe edition of the album, namely "Strangest Feeling" and " What You Won't Do for Love", with the former being released digitally on 14 October 2011 and the latter being premiered on 22 May 2012. Sampha was also credited as a collaborator on "Valentine", a song released previously on 14 February 2011 with Ware. The song was partly inspired by James Blake's song " The Wilhelm Scream" and based on both Ware and Sampha's own personal experiences in love. ''Devotion'' opens with the eponymous album track, a "dark and dense" song that hints at "passion's underbelly" with deep bass hit that portraits sonic signature by Okumu. The second track "Wildest Moments" is a "boomy, earthy beats" epic ballad that sings about the strength of friendship, with lyrics such as "From the outside/Everyone's always wondering why we fight/Why do we fight?" and Ware's vocal being a "balancing act" between "gorgeous, bell-like"
synths A synthesizer (also synthesiser or synth) is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating waveforms through methods including subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis an ...
and chiming piano chords. The song was among the "most festival-ready songs-- big hooks, bigger drums" produced by Kid Harpoon for the album. It was followed by the first single "Running", which saw Ware "slinks and sighs" over a yacht-rock groove, "explodes at a key moment, then backs off again for an affecting conclusion", gaining comparisons to that of
Sade Sade may refer to: People * Marquis de Sade (1740–1814), French aristocrat, writer, and libertine; namesake of the word ''sadism'' * Sade (singer) (born 1959, Helen Folasade Adu), British Nigerian musician and lead singer of the eponymous band * ...
for her "poised and pure" voice over "drums echo" and "repeated guitar lick" which gave the song a "lovely, sultry" sound. The eight track of the album "Sweet Talk" is hailed as the record's most classically "
pop Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop! (British group), a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Album ...
" song, which finds Ware pleading "Don't keep me with the kisses, there's never any there when I need," and hints at a "
Whitney Houston Whitney Elizabeth Houston (August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012) was an American singer, actress, film producer, model, and philanthropist. Commonly referred to as "Honorific nicknames in popular music, the Voice", she is List of awards and no ...
-like belt, but keeps it constrained" within the song's "chilly" synths line, "stuttering" drum machine shuffle and "gentle, neon-lit"
Rhodes piano The Rhodes piano (also known as the Fender Rhodes piano) is an electric piano invented by Harold Rhodes, which became popular in the 1970s. Like a conventional piano, the Rhodes generates sound with keys and hammers, but instead of strings, th ...
riff. Meanwhile, the album's fourth track "Still Love Me" contains "growing loop" of effects and instruments that recalled the work of her previous collaborator SBKTRT, while "No to Love" is a song that contains " grungy guitar loops, ADD beats, and
rap Rapping (also rhyming, flowing, spitting, emceeing, or MCing) is an artistic form of vocal delivery and emotive expression that incorporates " rhyme, rhythmic speech, and ommonlystreet vernacular". It is usually performed over a backin ...
verse from a
Flight of the Conchords Flight of the Conchords are a New Zealand musical comedy duo formed in Wellington in 1998. The band consists of multi-instrumentalists Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement. Beginning as a popular live comedy act in the early 2000s, the duo's c ...
sound-alike" The album's ninth track, "110%", is a "gorgeously restrained summer smash" and "
bubbly "Bubbly" is the debut single of American singer-songwriter Colbie Caillat from her first album, ''Coco'' (2007). Written by Caillat and Jason Reeves and produced by Mikal Blue, the song was released as the album's lead single on May 15, 2007 ...
, even-keeled
house A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air c ...
" song Ware co-wrote with producer Bashmore. Originally contained a distorted sample from late Puerto-Rican / American rapper
Big Pun Christopher Lee Rios (November 10, 1971 – February 7, 2000), better known by his stage name Big Pun (short for Big Punisher), was an American rapper. Emerging from the underground hip hop scene in the Bronx, he came to prominence upon discover ...
's song "The Dream Shatterer", it was later changed following a dispute over the used sample, and eventually led to Ware re-titling the song to "If You're Never Gonna Move." The track remains all but unchanged, save for altering that loop into a similar voice laying down the line "coming on a mission like a warhead." The song was described as a "sugar rush dance-floor gem", with "bubbling"
synth bass Keyboard bass (shortened to keybass and sometimes referred as a synth bass) is the use of a smaller, low-pitched keyboard with fewer notes than a regular keyboard or pedal keyboard to substitute for the deep notes of a bass guitar or double bass ...
and "quicksilver"
percussion A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a percussion mallet, beater including attached or enclosed beaters or Rattle (percussion beater), rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or ...
that sees Ware singing about "a girl trying to get him off his throne and dance." According to the singer, both her and Bashmore were inspired to create "110%" after seeing Big Pun in a "yellow
PVC Polyvinyl chloride (alternatively: poly(vinyl chloride), colloquial: vinyl or polyvinyl; abbreviated: PVC) is the world's third-most widely produced synthetic polymer of plastic (after polyethylene and polypropylene). About 40 million tons o ...
suit" while sitting on a throne in a
hip-hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hi ...
magazine. It was followed by "Taking in Water", a "powerhouse" pop ballad with "soul, passion and intelligence" that recalls the "great" influence from Whitney Houston. With "Imagine It Was Us", the album's only new song on its re-issue edition, Ware offers her "most fun" tune with the "slinky, sultry
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-style" house track that joins "the charge of
disco Disco is a music genre, genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the late 1960s from the United States' urban nightclub, nightlife, particularly in African Americans, African-American, Italian-Americans, Italian-American, LGBTQ ...
revolution." It was co-written by Ware, Bashmore, Brey Baptista, Dave Corney and
Jimmy Napes James Napier (born 18 September 1984), known professionally as Jimmy Napes, is an English songwriter and record producer. He has won a number of awards including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, 3 Grammy Awards, and 2 Ivor Novello Awards ...
, with the latter most known for his work with musician duo
Disclosure Disclosure may refer to: Arts and media Film and television *'' CBC News: Disclosure'', a television newsmagazine series in Canada * ''Disclosure'' (1994 film), an American erotic thriller film based on the 1994 novel by Michael Crichton * ''Dis ...
and fellow British singer-songwriter
Sam Smith Samuel Frederick Smith (born 19 May 1992) is an English singer and songwriter. In 2012, they rose to prominence when they featured on Disclosure (band), Disclosure's breakthrough single "Latch (song), Latch", which peaked at number eleven on ...
. In addition, "Wildest Moments" received another remix with guest verses by American rapper A$AP Rocky, making it her first song to have a feature artist. The rapper previously shared with
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that he was "eager" to work with Ware, having acknowledged the singer since "last summer" and expressing his reason to collaborate. In an interview with ''The Juice'', Ware revealed that she "loved" the rapper and wanted a guest rapper on "Wildest Moments" for the US release of the album. As the singer was at the States promoting and Mayers promoting his record in the United Kingdom, Ware sent the track to the rapper for a collaboration, eventually received an email with Mayers' verses just before the deadline to turn over the project.


Singles and promotion

Prior to the album's release in 2012, Ware released her first solo single "Strangest Feeling" on 14 October 2011, which was later included on the iTunes deluxe edition only. The singer then released the lead single "Running" on 24 February 2012, along with an accompanying music video for the track. It eventually received a physical release on 4 April, along with a remix version by Disclosure. "110%" was then released as the second single on 13 April 2012, while third single "Wildest Moments" was released on 29 June 2012 and its accompanying remix by
Star Slinger Star Slinger (born Darren Williams) is an electronic music producer and DJ based in Manchester, UK, taking influences mainly from house and hip hop. Star Slinger first came to attention after self-releasing a beat tape in the summer of 2010 enti ...
on 5 July. Both singles eventually became the highest-charting singles from ''Devotion'' in their native country, peaking at number forty-one and forty-six on the UK Singles Chart, respectively. As of June 2020, both singles, along with "Running" are among Ware's most successful singles in the UK, placing in her top five biggest hits in her native country. In addition, "Wildest Moments" became Ware's biggest hit in Belgian, peaking at number three on the Belgium
Ultratop Ultratop is an organization which generates and publishes the official record charts in Belgium. Ultratop is a non-profit organization, created in 1995 on the initiative of the Belgian Entertainment Association (BEA), the Belgian member organiz ...
50 Flanders chart for two weeks, as well as one of her only songs to receive a Silver certificate by
BRIT Brit most commonly refers to: * Briton, a British person Brit, Brits or BRIT may also refer to: People Nicknames * Brit Hume (born 1943), American TV journalist * Brit Selby (born 1945), Canadian ice-hockey player * Brit Smith (born 1985), ...
so far. During the album release's week, "Taking in Water" was released as a free promotional single on the same physical release date of the album, with "Night Light" serving as the fourth single on 25 September 2012. The song achieved moderate success in Ware's native country, peaking at number ninety-five on the UK Singles Chart for a week. "Sweet Talk" was then released as the fifth single on 21 January 2013, but eventually became uncharted, while the only new song from ''The Gold Edition'', titled "
Imagine It Was Us "Imagine It Was Us" is a song recorded by British singer Jessie Ware for the re-release of her debut studio album, titled '' Devotion – The Gold Edition''. The song was released in the United Kingdom as a digital download on 12 April 2013. The ...
", was released as the sixth single overall on 12 April 2013 to minor commercial success, barely missing out the top 100 of the UK Singles Chart while becoming her only entry on the
French Singles Chart SNEP (, in English National Syndicate of Phonographic Publishing) is the inter-professional organisation that protects the interests of the French record industry. Originally known under the acronym SNICOP, the organisation was established in ...
, peaking at number one-hundred and forty-eight. Following her signing deal with
Cherrytree Records Martin Kierszenbaum, also known by his pseudonym Cherry Cherry Boom Boom, is an American record executive and record producer. He founded Cherrytree Records (or The Cherrytree Music Company) in 2005, a record label and management company through w ...
for further promotion activities in the United States, Ware eventually released a US-exclusive eponymous
extended play An extended play (EP) is a Sound recording and reproduction, musical recording that contains more tracks than a Single (music), single but fewer than an album. Contemporary EPs generally contain up to eight tracks and have a playing time of 1 ...
for "If You're Never Gonna Move" on 15 January 2013. Prior to the extended play's release, the singer had shows at
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venue The Box on 10 December, and later at
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' Bootleg Bar on 13 December 2012, respectively. She later embarked on a six-date concert beginning on 14 January 2013 at the Sinclair in
Cambridge, Massachusetts Cambridge ( ) is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. It is a suburb in the Greater Boston metropolitan area, located directly across the Charles River from Boston. The city's population as of the 2020 United States census, ...
, booked by Marty Diamond at Paradigm, to further promote the extended play. The singer eventually announced the US release date for ''Devotion'' on 18 March 2013, along with the follow-up tour dates that "culminate" with her gigs at the
Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival Coachella (officially called the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and sometimes known as Coachella Festival) is an annual music and arts festival held at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, in the Coachella Valley in the Colora ...
, and later at the 2013's
Wireless Festival ''Wireless'' Festival is an annual rap and hip-hop music festival that takes place in London, England, which is owned and managed by Live Nation Entertainment, Live Nation. Debuting in 2005, the festival's earlier years primarily featured rock an ...
. "Wildest Moments" was then serviced to radio as the first official single in the States for the singer on 3 June 2013.


Critical reception

''Devotion'' received widespread acclaim from music critics upon its initial release. At
Metacritic Metacritic is an American website that aggregates reviews of films, television shows, music albums, video games, and formerly books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created ...
, which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an
average In colloquial, ordinary language, an average is a single number or value that best represents a set of data. The type of average taken as most typically representative of a list of numbers is the arithmetic mean the sum of the numbers divided by ...
score of 85, based on 28 reviews, which indicates "universal acclaim". Mike Diver of
BBC Music BBC Music is the arm of the BBC responsible for the music played across its services. The current director of music is Lorna Clarke. Officially it is a part of the BBC's Radio operational division; however, its remit also includes music used i ...
wrote, "''Devotion'' is the sort of sophisticated, soulful pop record that comes along all too rarely, a collection that never hides the heart on its sleeve. Down-tempo it may be, but no listener will come away downcast." He further commented on Ware's vocal, citing that the singer "never stretches for an out-of-reach note; she never gives her songs over to hyperbole or bombast," eventually cited her as "here, now, and superb" next big thing. Tim Jonze of ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
'' wrote, "Sophisticated, smooth and sensual, in the wrong hands ''Devotion'' could easily have been a footnote in the New Boring movement, that vibrant strain of youth culture that has already given us
Emeli Sandé Adele Emily Sandé ( ; previously Gouraguine; born 10 March 1987), known professionally as Emeli Sandé, is a British singer and songwriter. Born in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, England and raised in Alford, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, Sandé rose t ...
,
Adele Adele Laurie Blue Adkins (; born 5 May 1988) is an English singer-songwriter. Regarded as a British cultural icon, icon, she is known for her mezzo-soprano vocals and sentimental songwriting. List of awards and nominations received by Adele, ...
and
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concerts that wrestle with the
spacetime continuum In physics, spacetime, also called the space-time continuum, is a mathematical model that fuses the three dimensions of space and the one dimension of time into a single four-dimensional continuum. Spacetime diagrams are useful in visualizing ...
itself. Yet Jessie Ware's debut album is saved by one fact: for all her album's poise and restraint,
dance music Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole piece or part of a larger musical arrangement. In terms of performance, the major categories are live dance music and recorded dance musi ...
clearly runs through this 27-year-old south Londoner's veins. Throughout ''Devotion'' you're never told to sit up and pay attention. Instead it quietly works its magic, a genuinely individual statement by an artist who didn't expect to become a pop star, but might struggle to stop it happening anyway – after all, the groove is in her heart".


Commercial performance

''Devotion'' attained commercial success for Ware upon its initial release. By debuting at number five and sold 9,319 copies in its first week, the album was her first top-five entry on the
UK Albums Chart The Official Albums Chart is the United Kingdom's industry-recognised national record chart for album, albums. Entries are ranked by sales and audio streaming. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the O ...
, and at the time, her highest-charting release. It was later surpassed by the No. 3 peak of her fourth studio album '' What's Your Pleasure?'' (2020). The album eventually became her first release to receive a Gold certificate for having sold over 100,000 copies, and to date, her best-selling release in the UK.


Track listing


International version


US version


Personnel

Credits for ''Devotion'' adapted from
Barnes & Noble Barnes & Noble Booksellers is an American bookseller with the largest number of retail outlets in the United States. The company operates approximately 600 retail stores across the United States. Barnes & Noble operates mainly through its B ...
. Performance credits *Jessie Ware – primary artist, vocals *Robin Mullarkey – cello *Kid Harpoon – guitar, percussion, keyboards *Lexxx – synthesizer bass *
Dave Okumu David Jairus Ochieng Okumu (born 12 October 1976) is an Austrian singer, songwriter, producer and guitarist, best known for fronting the band the Invisible. His debut album, released in March 2009, was nominated for a Mercury Prize (2009) and s ...
– synthesizer, bass, guitar, piano, drums, keyboards, background vocals, rap, finger snapping * Wilma Archer – guitar, piano, percussion *Leo Taylor – drums *
A. K. Paul Anup Kumar Paul (born 1986) is an English singer, songwriter and producer from London. Paul came to prominence in 2011 as a contributor to his brother Jai Paul's debut single "BTSTU (Edit)". The following year, he co-wrote the demo of Jai's sing ...
– bass, guitar *Robin McUllarkey – cello *
Dornik Dornik Leigh (born 2 January 1990 in Croydon, London, England) is a British musician. Career Dornik started off being a ghostwriter for Odd Future and Syd Tha Kyd. He later was credited as producer and songwriter in those groups. In addition to ...
– background vocals Technical credits *Stuart Hawkes – mastering *Lewis Hopkin – mastering *Robin Mullarkey – programming, additional production *Kid Harpoon – composer, programming, producer, engineer *David Corney – composer *David Emery – Pro-Tools *
Dave Okumu David Jairus Ochieng Okumu (born 12 October 1976) is an Austrian singer, songwriter, producer and guitarist, best known for fronting the band the Invisible. His debut album, released in March 2009, was nominated for a Mercury Prize (2009) and s ...
– composer, programming, producer, engineer, cello arrangement *Julio Bashmore – composer, programming, producer, engineer * Wilma Archer – composer, producer, engineer *James Napier – composer *Jessie Ware – composer *Velour – producer *Nigel Glasgow – engineer *Breyner Baptista – composer *Brendon Harding – engineer *Laura Dockrill – composer *Dan Vinci – engineer *Rakim Mayers – composer


Charts


Weekly charts


Year-end charts


Certifications


Release history


References

{{Authority control 2012 debut albums Albums produced by Dave Okumu Island Records albums Jessie Ware albums