There’s nothing quite like a Jason Mraz song to get us through this spring. His latest single ‘Wise Woman’ has dropped on the platforms and the singer is back once again to delight us with his fresh, breezy and touching tunes.

‘Wise Woman’ re-conceives femininity as a source of wisdom and as a force of creation, but Mraz ensures that he never gets too heavy-handed about his themes. The sound itself borrows from old-school jazz elements while dabbling in a little bit of light reggae; in other words, Jason Mraz keeps it familiar and heartwarming. His feather-soft voice is as infectious as ever, and the romantic sentiments come through loud and clear through the melody. However, Mraz never beats down the composition with shattering vocal runs or distracting instrumental solos; he continues to do what he does best. 

His knack for conveying a wealth of emotions through just a couple of slow-temp chords on the guitar or the ukulele is fairly unique. A lot of us may have forgotten but Jason Mraz’s hits in the late aughts’ and even early 2010s tapped into this very saccharine but earnest category of earworms that melted hearts left and right. Thankfully, ‘Wise Woman’ delivers in the same capacity. Its approach is much less direct, as Mraz is not merely celebrating his love for the feminine nature but appreciating it for its spirit of strength and kindness. The lyrics are repetitive but the offbeat rhythms make it clear the focus should be on the instrumentation. It’s not conspicuous but it’s just soothing enough to invoke some deep emotions. What really brings the melody together is Mraz’s sweet hums that conclude each rendition of the chorus; they are passionate, simple and immensely moving. 

It’s the sort of composition that would make as great a campfire chorus as it would a slow dance song at a wedding. When it comes to romance, Mraz certainly has an inclination. This song is set to be part of Mraz’s upcoming album ‘Look For The Good’, which will be released later in the year. When asked how he came up with the song, Mraz said, “Wise Woman is a song about Mother Earth and the love and nourishment that comes from Women. It focuses on an herb garden, a small example of Mother Earth’s ability to provide sustenance and healing.”

 pop     reggae 

Author: Shaoni Das

Shaoni Das is a writer/editor currently based in Edmonton, Canada. She remains eager to inspect how the changing culture of music impacts upon the greater world.