The Grammy-nominated vocalist shares an uplifting cut from her upcoming album Nobody Owns You.
Singer Joan Osborne is uncommonly comfortable when it comes to moving among musical genres — everything from pop to blues, country to Motown — and her albums tend to reflect the wide range of her talent and tastes. She is at the top of her form with “Great American Cities,” an irresistibly exuberant and uplifting cut from her upcoming album Nobody Owns You.
And if you want to call the unabashedly patriotic tune a new national album for the 21st-century — well, you won’t be too far off the mark.
“I keep hearing TV pundits running down America’s cities,” Osborne says. “I don’t think they spend any time in these places because if they did, they would understand how vibrant, joyful, and full of creativity America’s cities are. I visit them all regularly on tour, and they’re an essential part of what makes America strong and exciting and beautiful.”
Osborne has described Nobody Owns You — set for a Sept. 8 release via her imprint Womanly Hips Records — as “the most personal record I’ve ever made. These songs come from my feelings about people in my family, about people who I care about, and just what to do with this time that we have on the earth. They come from a raw emotional place. And I’m asking myself that question: What am I here for?” The album is a collection of twelve contemplative songs offering hope and solace, while exploring Osborne’s own unique journey from small-town Kentucky to international entertainer.
Here is the sensationally spirited music video for Joan Osborne’s “Great American Cities.”
