Glasshouse

Released in 2017, Glasshouse represents a pivotal and deeply personal chapter in Jessie Ware's discography. Written and recorded while she was pregnant with her first child, the album's creation was famously fraught; Ware initially felt pressured to produce commercial hits, leading to a creative block that was only broken after a blunt intervention from producer Benny Blanco. This led to a complete reconstruction of the record, shifting the focus toward a more honest, 'adult-pop' sound that prioritized songwriting over club-readiness. The album features a high-profile list of collaborators including Julia Michaels, Francis and the Lights, and Ed Sheeran, yet it remains Ware's most intimate work. Sonically, it draws heavily from the sophisticated soul of the 1970s and contemporary R&B, with critics noting its 'stitched-together' but effective architecture. It serves as a thematic precursor to her more dance-oriented later work while standing alone as her most vulnerable exploration of family and self.