Jessie Ware continues to impress me with her musical output. The South London born singer's debut studio album Devotion has already joined the ranks of my favourite albums of 2012; and her choice to now cover Brownstone's brilliant 1994 hit If You Love Me- boy does that bring back memories- only exacerbates my fondness for the rising star.
The original Brownstone version was a master class in 90's Rnb, so to have covered it straight as it was would have been a no no for me. Besides it wouldn't have fitted with Jessie's unique style. Instead, Jessie Ware and, unknown producers, BenZel bring the song bang up to date by infusing it with the icy electronica that the Rnb of this decade has become so fond of dabbling in- see Drake's Take Care, Ushers Climax, Dawn Richard's Faith. All while managing to retain some of the key elements of the original, like it's strong gospel harmonies and the overall melody of the piece. The combination works surprisingly well.
Take a listen to the Jessie Ware cover, and the Brownstone original, below.
