Jacob Collier has released “Witness Me,” featuring Canadian singer-songwriter Shawn Mendes, British rap titan Stormzy, and 19-time Grammy-winning gospel legend Kirk Franklin. “Witness Me” is the resplendent newest single from his forthcoming album Djesse Vol. 4. The final instalment of Collier’s epic and expansive self-produced Djesse series, Vol. 4 will be released February 29 via Hajanga / Decca / Interscope. “Witness Me” is a transformative, rousing gospel-inspired anthem, a collision of four distinct music worlds, all within Collier’s singular style. Featuring a cast of musical heavyweights such as only Collier could assemble, the song celebrates the radical power of empathy.
Listen to “Witness Me” featuring Shawn Mendes, Stormzy and Kirk Franklin HERE
A central pillar to Djesse Vol. 4 is Collier’s inimitable celebration of the human voice. Across hundreds of shows on his World Tours in the last two years, Collier has led “Audience Choirs,” conducting countless fans singing together in harmony. He’s captured these powerful moments and incorporated hundreds of thousands of audience members into the songs of Djesse Vol. 4. “Witness Me” features 5,000+ of these fans singing together, which bolster the magic of Kirk Franklin and his singers, an iconic sound which has graced hundreds of Kirk’s legendary gospel recordings of the last three decades.
Jacob Collier: “The song began its journey back in 2021, when Shawn and I got together to throw some paint in Malibu. We bonded over our love of gospel music, joyous communal gatherings and creating music for more than ourselves. I worked on that song seed over the coming months, and travelled to Arlington, Texas (chez Franklin) to work with Kirk and his unbelievable singers for a day. That session transformed the demo into a fully-fledged song, which I then sent to Stormzy to do his inimitable magic with.
This song means a great deal to me, and its creation has brought me a lot of hope and warmth over the two years of its gestation. In a time where there are countless divisive forces around the world, my hope is that this song can act as a reminder of the power people hold to come together and really see each other, carry each other and bear witness to life in all its colours.”
Shawn Mendes: “So happy to share this song with everyone. Jacob, Stormzy & Kirk are artists I’ve admired for a long time, so I’m honoured to be a part of such a beautifully intentioned song. I hope you guys love it!!!”
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