Gossip’s Beth Ditto has revealed that she had never heard Rihanna’s hit song ‘Umbrella’ until Jessie Ware sang it to her at Glastonbury.
The discussion arose as part of a new interview between the Gossip singer and the ‘Free Yourself’ artist as part of a new episode on the latter’s Table Manners podcast.
In the discussion, Ditto recalled a time when she was at Glastonbury back in 2007 to perform with her bandmates, and was introduced to the song for the first time – despite it dominating charts around the world at that point.
According to Ditto, she first heard the song when a then-unknown Jessie Ware was singing it in the audience as a rainstorm hit the festival, and had no idea the song was already a chart hit.
“I did not realise that was you, and in my memory, the first time I’d ever heard the song ‘Umbrella’ was you and your friend. I remember the two of you, your haircut… everybody did it because you had an umbrella,” she told Jessie and her mum Lennie.
Jessie Ware performs during the 2023 Austin City Limits Music Festival at Zilker Park on October 07, 2023 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Tim Mosenfelder/FilmMagic/Getty Images)
“It’s such a core memory for me because I remember that day that these two girls walked up to me, I remember y’all singing ‘Umbrella, ella, ella‘ and I was thinking ‘These girls are singing a hit!’ I did not know it was a Rihanna song, I thought you made it up!”
She continued, admitting that she had tried to tell the story countless times in the years since, particularly after Ware made it into the spotlight herself with her pop career.
“I’d never even heard that song, it doesn’t sound that crazy when I tell you. I’ve tried to retell that story. I thought two girls made it up in the rain and then I was like ‘Oh my God, that was you!’ I thought you wrote ‘Umbrella’.”
The discussion on the Table Manners podcast comes after Gossip dropped their latest album ‘Real Power’ – their first full-length LP since reforming in 2019.
The album was given a glowing four-star review by NME, and was described as letting the band “find new levels of potency by showing a little restraint”.
Beth Ditto and bassist Ted Kwo from the band Gossip take to the stage at the Lido. Photo: Britta Pedersen/dpa (Photo by Britta Pedersen/picture alliance via Getty Images)
“Gossip have never lacked heart, but on ‘Real Power’, they seem to have realised that (comparably) still waters can also run deep. The precisely euphoric music pairs elegantly with some pared-down, open-hearted lyrics,” it read. “A joyous and compassionate return, ‘Real Power’ proves that Gossip’s clear-headed maturity has ensured they achieve its titular sentiment.”
As well as announcing details of an upcoming tour across the UK and Europe, Ditto also spoke to NME about the return of the band and explained how they have matured as artists compared to when they first began.
“When we began, so much about Gossip was about running away – that was always in the music,” she explained. “We survived. We came from nothing, and we got the fuck out of there. And to be here 20 years later and still making music together is just incredible.”
Both Jessie Ware and Gossip are set to perform at Glastonbury Festival 2024 in June. Dua Lipa, Coldplay and SZA will headline the iconic Pyramid Stage this summer.
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