Jacob Collier has released “Witness Me,” which features Shawn Mendes, British rap titan Stormzy, and gospel legend Kirk Franklin.
“Witness Me” is the resplendent newest single from his forthcoming album Djesse Vol. 4. The final installment 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.
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 plus of these fans singing together, which bolsters 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.
Says Collier of the song: “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 traveled 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 colors.”