"That! Feels Good!" by Jessie Ware

Welcome to today’s edition of the Best Music of All Time newsletter!

The best kind of disco-pop record: fizzy, fun, and eminently danceable.

Since the start of the decade, disco revivals have been all the rage. From Dua Lipa’s retro-futuristic bops to Beyoncé’s kinky club odyssey, sprinkling liberal amounts of mirrorball nostalgia over sweaty club tracks has been a formula for success. Ditto for Jessie Ware’s fifth studio album, That! Feels Good!, which strikes a perfect balance between paying homage to its source material and charting a distinctive artistic course. It’s a playful, sex-positive, party all its own.

Whispers of Sister Sledge, Donna Summer, and Kylie Minogue (who, interestingly, provided some uncredited backing vocals) can be heard simmering under Ware’s belted vocals and Kokoroko’s insanely tight, funky accompaniment. The first few seconds of its eponymous opener immediately set the tone, with breathy proclamations and soft horns giving way to an irresistible bass groove. Eventually, Ware commands you like a drill sergeant: “Freedom is a sound, and pleasure is a right. Do it again.” And the vibes don’t let up from there, with Ware’s outstanding vocal performance imbuing every moment with the kind of glamorous energy that carries you well into the early-morning hours.

Got thoughts on this album? Did you love it? Sound off in the comments.