UTG PHOTOS: Jess Glynne in New York City (01/20/16)

February 4th, 2016

MJ Rawls

jess glynne feat

Under The Gun Review sent photographer MJ Rawls to Webster Hall in NYC to shoot Jess Glynne on her ‘I Cry When I Laugh’ Tour.

Have you ever been in the car and heard a song so catchy, you couldn’t get your phone out fast enough to find out what it was? (Not while driving, of course). That song for me was “Hold My Hand” by Jess Glynne. With that, I realized I was already acquainted with the London, England-born singer through the 2014 track by Clean Bandit, “Rather Be.” Both of these songs are reminiscent of ’90s dance music, elevated by Glynne’s soulful twist on it. Glynne’s Webster Hall show was sold out for months, but you always want to add something different to the repertoire of music journalism. Far be it from me to be allergic to a good groove, so I went to check it out.

The crowd was a good mixture of people who both liked dance and R&B music. It was a little bit more spaced-out that I thought a sold out show would be—people giving each other space to do their variations of a two-step or grabbing their lover to slow wind. This show had an international flavor to it. The opener, Australian singer Conrad Sewell, brought on the festivities. If you’re familiar with Norwegian DJ, Kygo, and his single, “Firestone,” you have heard of him. Sewell balanced his set with up-tempo songs and ballads from his recently released EP, All I Know. He even slipped in a cover of The Weeknd’s hit “Can’t Feel My Face.”

The 26-year-old Glynne, who has sited singers like India Arie and Beyonce as musical inspirations, was confident and carefree as she went into songs from her 2015 debut album, I Cry When I Laugh. There’s a certain cadence in her vocals that defines most of her songs as her own. I was familiar with the more upbeat songs, but it was the ballad, “My Love,” that narrowed in on her style even more in regards to her vocal range (if you’ve heard any Calvin Harris DJ sets, he uses her vocal in some blends from this song). The night was full of good times as Glynne enjoyed every minute she had with the New York audience. New York crowds will go with the vibe that you put out ten-fold.

I call Jess Glynne “the artist I always knew who I just met for the first time.” That might not make immediate sense, but it’s very likely you’re already familiar with her music. Nodding your head, humming the chorus to “Rather Be” or “Take Me Home.” I can’t really say that she’s a star in the making, because for years she was already hammering out her place.