Jewel Freewheelin' Woman LP

On her 2022 album Freewheelin' Woman, Jewel presents her boldest and most unbridled body of work to date, revealing entirely new dimensions of her breathtaking voice. In giving life to such a powerful selection of songs, the four-time Grammy Award-nominated artist immersed herself in a process she refers to as a spiritual rewilding - a reawakening of the raw creative energy that first set her on her path as an ever-evolving singer/songwriter.

Of the album's first single Jewel says, "'Dancing Slow' is ultimately about the ebb and flow of life, and cherishing those moments of certainty that are shared when you're with a trusted companion. It feels like time slows down for a moment. I'm so glad Train was able to join me on this track, with Pat Monahan's sweet vocals adding another layer to the melody."

The follow-up to Jewel's self-produced and critically praised 2015 album Picking Up the Pieces, Freewheelin' Woman finds Jewel working with producer Butch Walker (Taylor Swift, Gavin DeGraw, Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness), dreaming up a soulful and groove-heavy sound partly inspired by the classic R&B records made at Muscle Shoals.

"I cut my teeth on singers like Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan and got into those Muscle Shoals records a little later on, and for some reason that's where my voice and my writing wanted to go on this album," says Jewel, who recorded Freewheelin' Woman live with a full band. Along with lending the album a gritty vitality, that approach helped to capture the unfettered vocal work she's increasingly brought to her live show in recent years. On "Dance Sing Laugh Love" - the album's uplifting and luminous centerpiece - Jewel's vocals hit a particularly thrilling intensity as she shares her insight on living in resistance to cynicism.

"No More Tears" featuring Darius Rucker set the standard for the album's illuminating quality. In its soul-stirring homage to those who've endured hardship of all kinds, the song unfolds in warm gospel harmonies and smoldering piano melodies, taking on an exquisite power as Jewel and Rucker's vocals merge at the bridge.

Elsewhere on Freewheelin' Woman, Jewel embodies an irresistibly elated mood. A wildly catchy pop confection, "Alibis" revels in the radiant clarity that comes from conquering heartache, her voice telegraphing a carefree self-possession at the track's sing-along-ready chorus.

Jewel went from a girl who grew up with no running water on an Alaskan homestead, to a homeless teenager in San Diego, to an award winning, multi-platinum recording artist who released one of the best-selling debuts of all time. Through her career Jewel has sold over 30 million albums worldwide and has earned 26 nominations for such awards as the GRAMMYs, American Music Awards, MTV Awards, VH1 Awards, Billboard Music Awards, and Country Music Awards, winning eight times. She is one of the few singer songwriters to top the chart in every genre she wrote for - Folk, Pop, Club, Country, Standards, Children's and Holiday music.

...[A] bright, cheerful bit of self-empowerment that is as infectious as it is positive.