A slight change of pace for this, the latest single from Jason Mraz. I Won't Give Up is more of a country ballad than his previous material, with lyrics that lack the clever wordplay he is renowned for.
Instead, this is a straightforward ditty, which works in the song's favour. The simple melodic lines and instrumentation allow the core message to ring through - "I won't give up on us, even if the skies get rough". It's the sort of sentiment that everyone can relate to in some way or another. Some may find it overly sentimental, others will find it strikes a chord straight to their soul. Undoubtedly the full video will involve excessively emotive images of people weeping and probably a not-so-subtle mention to war. The final chorus though is positively emphatic, Mraz doubled by the backing vocals. It's an anthemic moment - let's stick together people, "we're worth it".
It's a more obviously mainstream effort from Mr A-Z that's just on the right side of sweet. It makes a nice contrast to his previous work, further proving (three albums in) there's far more to him than just I'm Yours.
4/5
Listen: I Won't Give Up is available now on iTunes and Spotify, with a new album due later this year.
