Today, platinum-selling and Grammy-winning UK soul singer and songwriter Joss Stone releases an empowering new gospel-tinged anthem “Walk With Me”. The song speaks to a different kind of love, one of love for thy neighbors, even complete strangers and anyone seeking togetherness at this time of uncertainty and ignites just in time to warm the souls and unite festive folks this holiday season after a tumultuous and divisive year.
“The song started out as a romantic song asking someone to walk through life with you, kind of like a wedding song if you will,” says Stone. “When we got to working on it so much had happened that I couldn’t take my mind off. With the pandemic and what happened with George Floyd that unfortunately sparked so much violence it got me thinking that the problem is mostly with the us and them attitude. That is the biggest killer – separation and judgement. Everyone needs to come together in order to survive this life in peace. Without togetherness nothing is OK”.
Co-written and co-produced by Jonathan Shorten who has worked with Stone since 2004’s platinum-selling Mind Body & Soul album, “Walk With Me” embraces the voices of Legato Vocal Ensemble in a heart-warming round of harmony and consolation.
Originally penned as a love song, Stone did a rewrite in light of recent events over the year.
“So I rewrote the song and I hope people take it in the way it was intended,” says Stone. “When I speak of the ‘heroes’, I am speaking of the brave doctors and nurses that have given so much of their lives to help others have one. And when I speak of ‘our brothers and sisters that cannot breathe’, it is a reference to George Floyd and the many others who have suffered injustice and suffocation in any way, be that physical or emotional. When I say ‘so take a hand’, I mean any hand, love everyone, we are in this life together. The only way things will get better is if we throw the divides and lines away and love each other regardless of colour or job or health. The fix is not to make those lines thicker. Let’s walk together. Through it all”.
The accompanying music video for “Walk With Me” also premieres today. Joss’ glorious performance is visualized in the headlines of a newspaper among all the overwhelming news around the world.
Watch the music video below.