Jade Bird Flies High
Brit Country Rising Star Wins The "Lottery"
British singer/songwriter Jade Bird released her debut EP Something American in July 2017, but she’s just now finding success in the United States due to the strength of the single “Lottery” from her upcoming debut full-length album.
Bird’s country style reflects the title of her EP, as she’s a Brit who plays American music. While her sound comes from “across the pond,” 20-year-old Jade Bird reminds me of other all-American acts like Loretta Lynn and Ryan Adams. The song “Lottery” really drives those influences home with its catchy melody and clever hooks, as it compares love affairs with older men to a lottery. Moreover, Bird’s voice is beyond her years with a confidence and conviction I wish I had when I was 20 years old.
Jade Bird describes her work as “honest, and the common thread through it is very much being who I am: kind of a young, ballsy teenager who wants to do something a little bit differently,” she told Billboard.com.
That honesty really comes out in the “Lottery” music video, directed by Kate Moross. Bird is bare in the minimal music video, which only features the country artist performing the song. While there are a few camera tricks and bright fluorescent lights scattered about, the essence of the song comes from Jade Bird’s performance and playful personality.
The music video was “a lot brighter, a lot more optimistic. I just saw color,” Jade Bird told Billboard.com, while the song itself “was just an easy song all around — everything, the production, the words, just kind of fell into the song a bit,” she continued.
Something American is now available on Spotify and Apple Music, while Jade Bird’s debut record has yet to receive a release date.
She will be on the festival circuit in the U.S. this year with appearances at Stagecoach in California on April 27-29, Bonnaroo in Tennessee on June 7-10, and Firefly in Delaware on June 14-17. For more info, check out Jade Bird’s website here.
