Out now is You Still Got Me the new studio album from Grammy-nominated powerhouse singer/songwriter Beth Hart, on the Provogue/Mascot Label Group, and with it her latest single, ‘Wanna Be Big Bad Johnny Cash‘.
A mid-tempo homage to the legendary Man in Black, the track draws on the signature sound of Cash’s most iconic hits, blending Hart’s rich vocals with a steady, hypnotic groove that channels his rebellious spirit.
“Cool and quick with whiskey on his breath, singin’ songs like he was cheatin’ death,” Hart sings, capturing the essence of Cash’s outlaw persona. While lyrics like, “I wanna be Johnny in a big black Cadillac, with my road trash army and a cocktail waitress on my lap,” the song invites listeners to revel in the timeless allure of living boldly and unapologetically.
The lyric video complements the song’s vibe with archival footage of Johnny Cash performing live and appearing in films, offering a visual homage to his storied career. These scenes are interspersed with imagery that highlights Cash’s rugged legacy, immersing viewers in the golden age of country and rock. Check it out below.
It follows the album’s explosive opening track, ‘Savior With A Razor’, as a single. One that features a jaw-dropping collaboration with Guns N’ Roses’ legendary guitarist, Slash, and comes armed with an accompanying in-studio video that’s been described as “stunning” – Check that out for yourselves here at RAMzine.
A soaring rocker, it erupts with Hart’s gritty vocals, as she snarls the powerful lyrics: “Dig my bad bones out the trash, sell my sick soul, keep the cash, kiss the preacher, kiss my ass, I’m a rager, like a saviour, with a razor, I’m takin’ the devil down.” This Bond-like anthem thunders with nihilistic defiance, and Hart’s towering vocal performance guides the listener through the shadows, breaking through the ceiling with Slash’s electrifying guitar wrapping itself around the story. The two artists unite in a dynamic and intense performance that showcases their undeniable chemistry.
“Beth Hart is one of my favorite artists to work with,” said Slash. “She is an incredible singer/lyricist on so many levels. But Beth is also as sincere and genuine a friend as they come. She’s amazing.”
“Slash is a real team player,” echoed Hart. “I’ve met some pretty incredible people in this business that are high profilers, and that dude is the best team player I’ve ever come across. He’s just a badass with zero ego and knows a lot about the razor’s edge. I got really lucky. I reached out and said, ‘Hey man, would you be at all interested?’, and he was absolutely down. He was totally into it, and I was just shocked.”
The accompanying in-studio video captures the raw energy of the recording process, offering a behind-the-scenes look at Hart’s intense vocal delivery as she sings to Slash’s electrifying guitar work. The video spotlights her powerful presence, bringing the song’s dark, defiant spirit to life, with Slash’s guitar adding an electrifying layer to the track’s bold and captivating sound.
‘Savior With A Razor‘ proves quite a contrast with her previous single, ‘Wonderful World’, that came with both an official video and a lyric video, each of which you can also check out here at RAMzine.
A piano ballad. ‘Wonderful World’ oozes optimism. “That song was written for and about my beautiful niece,” Hart revealed. “As time has gone by, I see that it’s really written for the lineage of the women in my family. All the way down the line; my great grandma, my grandma, my mom, my sisters, my niece and her daughter. So, it’s the lineage and how imperative it is for me to see that, and what a gift to finally see that.”
Regarding her writing process Hart said, “It’s always for the joy of writing or for the challenge of writing, to seek what’s going on. Sometimes, when I’m sad or scared, I check in on the piano. Sometimes a song comes, and sometimes one doesn’t. Either way, there’s comfort there.”
The album erupts with a soaring rocker in ‘Savior With A Razor’ featuring Guns ‘N Roses’ Slash. The epic Bond-like anthem thunders with nihilistic defiance as Hart’s vocals take the listener through the shadows and smash through the ceiling as Slash’s guitar wraps around the story in an electric fashion. “Beth Hart is one of my favourite artists to work with,” said Slash. “She is an incredible singer/lyricist on so many levels. But Beth is also as sincere and genuine a friend as they come. She’s amazing.”
Explains the messaging within the songs, Hart said: “I leave that up to the listener to decide. Personally, I know what it is for right now. One of the beautiful things I love about songs and albums is that over time, that meaning changes. I like to keep that open because there’s a lot I can learn from it.”
‘Little Heartbreak Girl’, pierces through the clouds like spears of hope and power. “Little Heartbreak Girl, you’re on your own,” she sings yearningly but follows with “Little heartbreak girl, stronger than stone”. Still, it’s the lyric “You’re gonna conquer the world” scattered throughout that stands atop the mountain, planting a flag into the ground.
The decadent groove-laden funk of ‘Suga N My Bowl’ features southpaw wizard and longtime friend Eric Gales. She offers up a cautionary tale on ‘Never Underestimate A Gal’, while the Tom’s Waits-esque ‘Drunk On Valentine’ is a tender, jazzy, smoky barroom ballad. Her “most personal and powerful song on the album” is the haunting socio-political opus ‘Don’t Call The Police’, an incredibly raw, upsetting, and observational insight on the George Floyd murder.
You Still Got Me is Hart’s eleventh studio album, and it finds her riding a career trajectory that has been heading for the stars for several years and keeps soaring. Her most recent albums, A Tribute To Led Zeppelin (2022) and War In My Mind (2019), became her highest charting UK and US releases to date, along with crashing into the Top 10 in Germany, France. Sweden, Belgium, Switzerland, Poland, Austria, and The Netherlands. Selling out shows worldwide, her recent travels have taken her across the US, Canada, Europe, and all the way to India, Morocco, and Australia.
Previously, ‘You Still Got Me’ was released as a single. Poignantly it features her beloved husband, Scott. Scott, along with the team around her, provide that surface to fall on when she needs it. Night after night on tour you can see the adulation she receives and that she also gives back. That connection has been forged over the last 28 years of releasing music in which she unapologetically wears her heart on her sleeve.
We all have our “Me” when she sings “You still got me” – a loved one, a friend, a pet, a place, a memory, a song… even in her moments of fragility, Beth Hart continues to inspire many. She buries her hand deep and tears her emotions open so we can all see a mirror into ourselves, reminding us that you can feel low, but your inner strength is so much more powerful.
Hart will be playing UK dates this November and in February 2025. If you have ever seen her live or immersed yourself in her music, you know she puts every ounce of her being into her songs. Firebrands inspire; it’s what attracts people to them. However, part of those personalities’ makeup is that they do not wear a harness. They thrive on the freedom and space around them. But, with that comes danger; you need an emotional crash mat, and those save lives. It is something we all need at times throughout our lives.
Tickets are available here and you can find more about the tour and other Beth Hart related matters at RAMzine here.
