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2023 has been a transformative year for Jessie Ware. The London singer’s fifth album, April’s ‘That! Feels Good!’ saw an already successful singer soar into an exclusive realm: “mother” status.
Ware has experienced a boost in the size of her distinctly, vocally queer fanbase, who embrace her for the powerful femininity she exudes; her songs position her as a high priestess of self-love and carnal pleasure, framed by gorgeous melismas that cascade like party poppers. She has aligned herself directly with the LGBTQ+ community, showing her allyship in subtle ways (attending London marches in support of trans people) and the not-so-subtle (dishing out slyly funny critique as a guest judge on season two of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK).
There’s a sincere understanding from Ware that speaking directly to this portion of her audience can create loyal, lifelong fans; in return, they have helped her step into her power. At the first of two sold-out hometown gigs at Alexandra Palace, 10,000 people go nuts at whatever she does on stage – particularly when she brandishes a whip as a mic stand throughout a scintillating ‘What’s Your Pleasure?’. The sheer force of the crowd’s devotion is palpable: they whoop and snap their fingers in awe of the Vegas-level glitz. All of this takes on extra significance when Ware announces that, over a decade into career, she is performing her biggest headline show to date.
These moments are no doubt intended to make us feel as if we’re part of a journey. Ware maintains a permanent grin all night. ‘Lightning’, a skippable track from ‘That! Feels Good!’, becomes an unexpected highlight as two supersized mirrorballs refract against each other, leaving the venue bathed in freckles of white light. ‘Beautiful People’ – complete with leather boots and calls for audience participation via easy-to-follow choreography – is delivered with an eyebrow raised knowingly at the ludicrousness of it all.
However over the top things may get, Ware keeps the attention on the music. She includes early hits (‘Say You Love Me’, ‘Selfish Love’) and revels in an extended mix of ‘Spotlight’, a sparkling career highlight. Before launching into the latter, she offers a conclusion filled with promise and ambition: “I’m five albums in, and I feel like I’ve got so much more to do.” It’s clear that this show represents a time of reckoning not just for Ware herself, but for anyone who views her as a ray of light in an increasingly gloomy world.
‘That! Feels Good!’
‘Shake The Bottle’
‘Ooh La La’
‘Pearls’
‘Selfish Love’
‘Begin Again’
‘Lightning’
‘Hello Love’
‘Remember Where You Are’
‘Say You Love Me’
‘Hot N Heavy’
‘Freak Me Now’
‘Overtime / Adore You’
‘Mirage (Don’t Stop)’
‘What’s Your Pleasure?’
‘Spotlight’
‘Save A Kiss’
‘Beautiful People’
‘Believe’ (Cher cover)
‘Free Yourself’
LIVE REVIEWS
Slayyyter played her take on Turnstile’s ‘Birds’ onstage for the first time in Atlanta. You can watch footage of the performance below.
Slayyyter is currently touring with her ‘Wor$t Girl In The World’ show. She added the cover to her set at The Eastern on Monday night (September 21).
She sang ‘Birds: Slayyyter Version’ near the end of the main set, following ‘Brittany Murphy’. She then came back for an encore featuring ‘Brand New Chanel$’ and ‘Beat Up Chanel$’.
It was her first live performance of the song. She originally recorded it for Turnstile’s ‘Never Enough: Versions’, a collection of reworked tracks released on August 28.
The 22 track release brings together new interpretations of songs from Turnstile’s fourth album. Contributors include Elton John, Hayley Williams, Blood Orange, A. G. Cook, Faye Webster, Four Tet, Oklou, Floating Points, Nourished By Time, Alex G, Julien Baker and Mustafa.
Panda Bear recorded a new take on ‘Magic Man’, while Dying Fetus gave ‘Birds’ another interpretation rooted in death metal.
See Slayyyter perform the track live and listen to her studio recording here:
Slayyyter trades the original song’s hardcore intensity for a bigger electronic sound that feels at home alongside her latest album, ‘Wor$t Girl In America’.
Turnstile first released ‘Birds’ on their 2025 album ‘Never Enough’. The song won Best Metal Performance at the 2026 Grammy Awards, where the album also won Best Rock Album.
In its five star review of ‘Never Enough’, NME pointed to ‘Birds’ and ‘Sole’ as reminders of Turnstile’s hardcore beginnings. It also praised the album for “furthering their unique, pop-facing take on hardcore”.
Slayyyter will join Turnstile on another stage next month. She and Die Spitz are set to support the band at the University of Kansas in Lawrence on October 6 for the ‘Never Enough Tour Pt. 2’.
It has been a big year for Slayyyter. Her third album, ‘Wor$t Girl In America’, came out in March, and NME’s review highlighted its mix of “brash, sleazy pop” and late 2000s indie sleaze sounds.
Last month, she performed Hole’s ‘Violet’ for triple J’s Like A Version. Courtney Love called the cover “a delight” and encouraged Slayyyter to “keep wiping the floors with us”.
A few weeks later, Slayyyter took ‘Wor$t Girl In America’ to Reading Festival. NME’s live review declared that there was “undoubtedly a star before us on stage” and praised her “rasped, rocked-up delivery” and growing confidence as a performer.
