Jess Glynne has revealed she once refused to lend one of her songs to Rihanna in a new interview.
The “Rather Be” singer recently spoke out You magazine on a variety of subjects, including one instance where Glynne was approached by Roc Nation co-founder and VP Jay Brown about whether her song, Promise Me, a ballad co-written with super-producer Greg Kurstin, would could be used by Rihanna.
“I said, 'No, you're not sending it to Rihanna.' I mean, it was the biggest compliment, but I said, 'It's my song, and I'm an artist, too,'” Glynne said.
She later expressed that conflicts between herself and her label's interests eventually led her to fire her management team. Recalling a meeting where they discussed sending her song to Rihanna, Glynne said, “I walked out of that meeting thinking, 'Who's to say I can't fire my team?'” She would later go on to sign with Roc Nation and stated that she finally met Jay Z and Beyoncé in person, calling them “very humble people, sweet, charming.”
She added that she was proud of her own perseverance, stating, “I'm like, 'You did this all by yourself. You got all these meetings. You flew yourself out there.” I want other women and young girls to be empowered by the decisions they make.
The interview follows three singles Glynne has released this year, namely 'Silly Me' in April, 'What Do You Do' in July and most recently, 'Friend Of Mine' in October. According to You article, these singles serve to preview Glynne's upcoming third full-length album, which is due for release in 2024.
In October, Glynne performed “Promise Me” for the first time at a fan-only showcase at The Hawley Arms in Camden, which was Amy Winehouse's famous favorite pub.
In 2020, Jess Glynne was announced for the 2021 Isle of Wight festival, despite being given a “lifetime ban” from the festival in 2019 by promoter John Giddings. That year, the singer pulled out of the festival moments before its scheduled start. While Glynne attributed her sudden withdrawal to exhaustion and stress, she was seen partying with the Spice Girls until 7am the night before.
Later in 2020, Glynne was criticized for claiming she faced “sheer discrimination” when she was turned away from a restaurant for dressing inappropriately. He later took back those comments in an Instagram live stream, saying he used the “wrong word.” In 2021, she once again faced criticism for using transphobic slurs in an interview on Mo Gilligan's podcast, for which she later apologized.
