Morgan James – Soul Remains The Same
Morgan James – Soul Remains The Same
Format: CD – Vinyl LP – Digital
Label: Hedonist Records
Release: 2025
Powerhouse soul singer Morgan James released her newest album, ‘Soul Remains The Same.’ The unexpected collection follows in the pattern of James’ ever-growing list of concept albums: re-creating iconic music made primarily by men, transforming it into something profound, beautiful and completely new, in a way only a woman could
Aptly called “a phenomenal talent whose feel for classic soul music is bone deep” by The New York Times, the former Broadway actress and alumna of The Juilliard School, breathes new life into iconic hard rock and metal tracks by artists including Ozzy Osbourne, AC/DC, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden and Metallica.
The newest single from the album is a hauntingly poignant rendition of The Smashing Pumpkins’ 90s hit “Tonight, Tonight.” See the full video of James’ version here.
“‘Tonight, Tonight’ was the last song we added,” says James, “and I knew it was the way I wanted to close the album. When you strip this song down to just keys and voice, the lyrics become the true star. The version we ended up with is a single, complete take—a true performance take of the song, with no edits. This song is so moving, and is the perfect final moment for me.”
Earlier this summer, FemMetal called James’ version of “Plush” (originally written and performed by Stone Temple Pilots) “a bold reinterpretation that feels both timeless and deeply personal…a conversation between genres, eras, and voices.” The outlet also said the entire project has a “bold sound and creative spirit of the project, blending vintage soul textures with songs that were never written with that style in mind.”
Soul Remains The Same follows a series of albums that James has recreated, including reinterpretations of Jeff Buckley’s Grace, D’Angelo’s Black Messiah, and The Beatles’ White Album. She’s also released five albums of original music as a proud indie artist. Two years ago, James released possibly her biggest endeavor to date, Jesus Christ Superstar performed by an all-female cast including Cynthia Erivo (who just concluded her run as Jesus in the much acclaimed Hollywood Bowl production), Shoshana Bean, Ledisi and Bridget Everett. An all female crew of producers and engineers and a female symphony orchestra brought the profound production to life.
James, who is currently on a robust tour combining symphony shows, club dates and everything in between, sees her career as a boundary-less opportunity to create endless music, breathing soul and a fierce, intentioned voice into everything she does.
Website: https://www.morganjamesonline.com/
Tracks:
01. Thunderstruck
02. Plush
03. Sad But True
04. The Day I Tried to Live
05. Cult of Personality
06. Is This Love
07. Something I Can Never Have
08. Better Man
09. Flying High Again
10. Tonight, Tonight