Silly Me

Album: Jess (2023)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Released on April 28, 2023, "Silly Me" is Jess Glynne's first original song since her 2019 collaborative single "One Touch" with British DJ Jax Jones. She also covered Donny Hathaway's "This Christmas" in 2020.

    After taking a break, the singer made some major changes in her career. Following a disagreement with her former label, Atlantic Records, Glynne signed with EMI. "Silly Me" is her debut single under the new label. She also switched up her management team and joined the powerhouse company Roc Nation.
  • "Silly Me" in an introspective track that showcases Glynne's signature earthy and soulful vocals. Set to a bluesy guitar line, the song sees the British singer reflecting on past mistakes with poignant honesty.

    As Glynne puts it, "Silly Me" is all about learning from one's missteps and growing from them. "Life isn't perfect," she says. "We all mess up along the way and have moments where we feel silly."

    But what matters most, according to Glynne, is picking yourself up and not being too hard on yourself.
  • Glynne gently chastises herself in a British way as she sings, "Oooh silly silly me, ooh how stupid could I be."

    "I think the story is that I'm human and I've lived," she told Rolling Stone of the reflective lyrics. "I've done good things; I've done stupid things. And I can literally look back and go, 'I have learned from everything that I've done, you know?' But I can also laugh at myself. I think that's super-important."

    "Silly Me" is also about self-acceptance.

    "It's like, 'I've been through life and I've learned, you know?," Glynne added, "It's like, 'I've been through life and I've learned, you know? I've selected the wrong people and I've done the wrong jobs. And I've been here, and I've done that. But I had to do that in order to get to here. And I think everyone needs to be less hard on themselves."

    Glynne's reference to her 2015 hit "Don't Be So Hard On Yourself" may not have been intentional, but it certainly fits with the overall message of the song. As Glynne put it, "I do find myself saying that a lot."
  • "Silly Me" is the result of a collaboration between Jess Glynne and her trusted longtime studio partner, Knox Brown, along with Frand Ferdinand producer, Mike Horner, and Beyoncé collaborator P2J.

    Brown, who has previously worked with RAYE and Stormzy, not only co-wrote the song but also co-produced the blues-pop ballad with Glynne and P2J. In addition, Brown showcased his musical versatility by playing all the instruments on the track: bass, synthesizer, keyboards, and drums.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Janis Ian

Janis IanSongwriter Interviews

One of the first successful female singer-songwriters, Janis had her first hit in 1967 at age 15.

Lace the Music: How LSD Changed Popular Music

Lace the Music: How LSD Changed Popular MusicSong Writing

Starting in Virginia City, Nevada and rippling out to the Haight-Ashbury, LSD reshaped popular music.

Jimmy Jam

Jimmy JamSongwriter Interviews

The powerhouse producer behind Janet Jackson's hits talks about his Boyz II Men ballads and regrouping The Time.

Dar Williams

Dar WilliamsSongwriter Interviews

A popular contemporary folk singer, Williams still remembers the sticky note that changed her life in college.

Commercials

CommercialsFact or Fiction

Was "Ring Of Fire" really used to sell hemorrhoid cream?

Reverend Horton Heat

Reverend Horton HeatSongwriter Interviews

The Reverend rants on psychobilly and the egghead academics he bashes in one of his more popular songs.