After a disappointing reception to her autobiographical album Glasshouse in 2017, Jessie Ware turned to more universal subject matter. What’s Your Pleasure? is 12 songs about dancing, fucking, and the anticipation of both. This is the bassline album of the year, a giddy mix of disco and house inspired by the sound of pre-AIDS New York nightlife, complete with a Warhol-esque Polaroid album cover. The bass patterns on “The Kill” and “In Your Eyes” sprint like they were programmed by Moroder himself. “Ooh La La” has strutting bass, taunting lyrics, purple synth hits, and guitar shrieks. It sounds like a lost Prince song circa 1999, and that’s the strongest recommendation I can give.
The Paradise Garage cosplay is a great fit for Ware. She’s most famous as a ballad singer, but here even the slower songs groove all the way through. Her voice sounds amazing after a decade-long career, like the ecstatic melody of “In Your Eyes” that pushes and pulls against the drum machine and the backing vocals. Ware sings like a worthy heir to Donna Summer as she soundtracks the ideal night out, from elbowing onto the dance floor to calling a ride home with a stranger. Neo-disco dance music was an ironically popular trend this year among pop musicians including Dua Lipa, Lady Gaga, Roisin Murphy, and even The Weeknd, who surely wouldn’t be booked for the 2021 Super Bowl if he hadn’t added more and more neon to his sound since House of Balloons. But all their records aren’t as fun as What’s Your Pleasure?.