ZZ Ward’s fierce and uncompromising stylistic mix reaches its apogee with her latest single “On One”. The new track hails from her forthcoming album Dirty Shine and Ward shares co-writing credits with producer Dave Bassett, but the lyrical content is all Ward. Inspired in a big way by the transformative experience of motherhood, “On One” practically roars with life-affirming confidence as Ward stakes out hitherto unexplored emotional territory. The emboldened energy crackling off this track engulfs you from the outset and Ward stands tall amid its fire, unbowed, and the master of her fate.
The song’s lyrics turn on an assortment of critical lines. She mixes specific imagery with generalizations in an artful fashion and, despite the song emerging from her experience of becoming a mother for the first time, Ward concocts a track with universal appeal. Anyone undergoing a positive transformation and setting out in a new direction will connect with her words. She sings, as well, with such unabashed self-confidence that you can’t help but feel energized by her performance.
The arrangement is a seamless melding of different genres into a cohesive whole. You’ll hear vivid strands of blues, rock, and hip-hop coalescing, entwining around one another, and never jarring the listening with discordant sound. “On One” ultimately hinges, however, on a tried and true pop structure that Ward utilizes with great skill. It’s almost superficially unrecognizable in this context, but attentive listeners will suss out the construction early in the track.
It makes translating the song into a video easy. Ward’s video companion piece for the song riffs on a completely different theme than the song’s lyrics but it’s nonetheless wildly entertaining. Viewers are treated to a mishmash of genres, zombie and Western movies, and will be blissfully unconcerned with the lack of any apparent connections with her lyrics. Ward’s brother Adam Ward handles the writing, direction, and production of this companion piece and intuitively understands how to highlight his sister. ZZ fills the screen with undeniable charisma and presence.
The same presence translates well into her vocal. You can’t take your ears off the song once she comes in and her sheer force of personality remains dominant throughout. Her voice complements the tumultuous arrangement without ever overshadowing any instrumental element and she never seems to sing anything the same way twice. This thrilling dexterity and ability to inhabit the lyrics has been a hallmark of her work since debuting in 2012 and will stay a calling card for as long as she’s a recording artist and performer.
The performance aspect of her presentation is crucial. Ward’s itch for touring is one she’ll never wholly scratch and she’s risen to a level where she’s capable of filling top-notch venues across the country. “On One” is tailored for live performance, without a doubt, but it pops with nearly the same energy in a studio setting. It is a representative moment from her new album Dirty Shine and heralds the opening of a new future for this prodigiously talented artist.
Garth Thomas