JoJo Worthington - Win Butler

Canadian singer, songwriter, and producer JoJo Worthington isn’t afraid to tackle one of her biggest inspirations head-on. Who dares to call her new song “Win Butler?” Must be someone who’s not only out for short-lived buzz but someone who can back it up with substance. And oh, is there substance in JoJo Worthington’s music!

Her new single “Win Butler” comes on the heels of her just-released EP BAPTIZED I, produced by herself and William Crann, and brims with gorgeous music. Front and center are JoJo’s bright and enchanting vocals, paired with exquisite (synths) instrumentation and an overall splendid production. Asked about “Win Butler,” JoJo says:

Win Butler” is a cacophony of feelings. It’s about the juxtaposition of wanting to succeed in the music industry and make art while there are adverse and tragic events happening everyday, all around me. Over the pandemic, it felt like the last thing anyone needed was more music (especially from me).

We beg to differ, but since we only recently discovered JoJo’s incredible talent ourselves, go on, please:

When I was in high school, I loved Arcade Fire (I still do), and I romanticized moving to Montreal and making amazing music. When I did finally move here, I was living downtown, and was heartbroken by the housing crisis and how many people were living on the streets here. Pursuing my dreams seemed like an incredibly selfish and insignificant thing to do, while people outside my apartment were just trying to get their basic needs met. The lyrics are inspired by some of the conversations I’ve had with those people, and the conflict I feel as I pursue a career in music in this broken world.

At its core, this is very artistic because that is what artists do – they wrap what they see and hear into something the general public, the less artsy souls, can understand and love and maybe even act upon. Music with meaning doesn’t have to be a protest folk or punk song, it can come in many different forms and shapes, and in the case of “Win Butler,” it comes in an exhilarating package. More of this, please.

Listen to “Win Butler,” our Song Pick of the Day:

Connect with JoJo Worthington and add “Win Butler” to your playlist as we add it to our #glamglarepick playlist on Spotify and AppleMusic:

Photo Credit: Justin Atkins