JoeJoe S Delivered A Philosophical Sermon on Polarisation and Fortitude In ‘Black! And in White! (don’t wanna live)’ –

John Lennon himself couldn’t have orchestrated JoeJoe S’s latest single, In Black! And in White! (don’t wanna live), better. It’s hymnal transcendence for anyone who feels alienated by the refusal to simplify existence by the refusal to see the world in its full colour, grey morality and all.

JoeJoe S, the musical alias of Joy Seroussi, only began writing songs at the end of 2022, yet there’s a lived weight to his work that comes from a lifetime of observing circumstance, crossroads and consequence. Living between Tel Aviv and Plomari, and writing songs as a form of self-therapy, he brings that searching candour straight into the heart of this release.

The massive rock-opera-meets-gospel-esque production, complete with orchestral scoring and the euphonic lift of choir harmonies, is practically luminous in its soul-sourced scintillation, until the Prince-esque soaring guitar solos ground the single in a sense of fortitude. This phenomenon of a song, which delivers one of the most enrapturing crescendos I’ve heard this year, sheds weight from the soul while reminding us that thinking in restrictive parameters is a fundamental part of the divide-and-conquer plan. By addressing polarisation without sinking into sloganeering, JoeJoe S joins the world together in a philosophical sermon with genuine heart.

In Black! And in White! (don’t wanna live) is now available on all major streaming platforms, including Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast