Rise Above The Dirty Noise

Jade “Church”

“Church” is mainly a song about pop fandom, and the joy and community that comes from obsessing over an icon and their music. This subject has come up in pop before, but the twist here is that Jade is offering herself up for this idolatry:

“While the world burns, let me see you work
Down on your knees, let me be your church”

It also sounds like she’s asking to receive oral sex. In either case, she’s inviting worship.

The verses present this as a full circle moment, starting from feeling inspired by drag and Beyoncé to attaining her own stardom and “carrying the wisdom that was passed down on to me.” I like the way this extends the “church” metaphor to the notion that pop stars are like clergy. If Beyoncé is the Pope of Pop, Jade is a young priest who finally has her own church.

The lyrical angle is clever, but “Church” mainly won me over for purely musical reasons. I love the contours of the melody, particularly in that “while the world burns, let me see you work” ramp up to the chorus. The production by Mark Schick and Pablo Bowman – who co-produced Jade’s breakout song “Angel of My Dreams” – is highly dynamic without making the composition feel cluttered or uneven. They simply refuse to let the song have any dull moments, and find all the right moments to ramp up the energy and intensity.

Buy it from Amazon.