Liberation is the fourth studio album by American blues singer-songwriter ZZ Ward. It was released on March 14, 2025, via Dirty Shine and Sun Records.[1][2]
The album follows the release of Ward's third studio album Dirty Shine and extended play, Mother, and includes four out of six tracks from the EP.[3] The album is produced by Ryan Spraker, who also produced Mother.[4] To promote the album, Ward will embark in a new leg of her Dirty Sun Tour in March 2025.[5][6]
"Love Alive" was released on January 17, as the lead single of Liberation, alongside its music video.[7][8][9]
Background and release
According Sun Records press release, the album is "a celebration of Ward's love of blues".[10] The record includes both original songs, and some covers.[10]
In an interview with Darryl Sterdan of Tinnitist, Ward said: “This is who I’ve always wanted to be — a blues artist, on my terms,” she continued. “It just took me a long time to get here.”[7] Sterdan went to describe the record as a "fearless exploration of empowerment, authenticity, and self-discovery." he went further teasing some details about the album content, saying it was: "written during her journey through motherhood, the album finds Ward returning to her blues roots, reflecting the raw, unfiltered emotions of life’s trials and triumphs."[7]
“I didn’t plan to make a blues album about motherhood, it just sort of happened naturally, I’ve always written to get through things in life. Suddenly, I was faced with a new job that’s 24/7 with no breaks, and that’s what I wrote about. But when you get tested, you discover who you are, and this album comes from a feeling of empowerment.”
Blues Rock Magazine awarded the album with a 9 out of an average rating of 10, with music critic Allan Claudio calling it "an amazing soundtrack to her life experiences". He also praised Ward's vocal performance, which Claudio described it as "filled with power and determination".[23]
Shawn Donohue of Glide Magazine similarly praised the album and described it as "[it] finds the songstress rediscovering her love of the blues and delivering a stirring effort", and concluding that "While Ward is a music industry veteran, Liberation finds her re-energized, fully embracing her blues love while carving her own path forward."[24]
Darryl Sterdan of the Tinnist selected the record as one of the "Albums Of The Week", applauding the album for its "aunthenticity and its sense of intrepid creativity" which results on "her truest and most blues-infused to date." He concluded that Liberation is "both a reclamation and a rebirth" of Ward's blues jorney.[25]
York Calling critic Graeme Smith opined that Liberation is an "accomplished example of the [Blues] genre", dubbing it a "fiercely authentic" album.[26] Writing for Indie Boulevard, Michael Filip Reed described Ward an artist that stands out thanks to her ability to remain true to herself, and said that Liberation "marks a milestone in Ward's career" highlighting its remarkable cohesive sound.[27]
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
