At the age of twelve, ZZ Ward was already performing at clubs in front of audiences with her dad’s Blues band. With an early dose of the magical power of music, Ward was hooked and began a path of artistic self-discovery, which eventually found her topping the Billboard Charts by the time she was in her twenties.
Looking back, Ward was an aspiring singer-songwriter with a fire in her heart. Signing on with Hollywood Records, her 2012 debut album Til the Casket Drops included three big singles – “Put the Gun Down” (which reached number 7 on the Billboard Adult Alternative Songs), “365 Days” (which hit number 4), and “Last Love Song” which made it to number 15). Impressive, this was only the beginning because in 2017, her second album, The Storm, hit number one on Billboard Blues Albums Charts! A sophomore release that found Ward collaborating with the likes of the modern guitar icon Gary Clark Jr., years of hard work were paying off in a big way.
It was all a dream come true. However, success is different for everyone. Some are content following one path, while others dare to take less traveled ones. As a result, in 2021, Ward opted to part ways with Hollywood Records to become an independent artist and fund her very own record label, Dirty Shine Records. A risky move in the eyes of some, Ward bravely took the plunge head-on. Why? Because she was growing as a musician and wanted to explore different artistic paths with more creative freedom. Most importantly, Ward was growing as a person.
Looking to take the bull by the horns and do things in her own light, around this time, she was also struck by the ever-powerful, life-changing experience of becoming a mom. Something that can change a person forever, an instinct kicks in where you want to be there for your child, share experiences with them, and thus priorities shift. A truly spiritual and beautiful gift to behold, Ward has made the most of it all, becoming a proud mother of two, all while continuing to put out exceptional music.
First debuting with Dirty Shine Records in 2023 with the album Dirty Shine, to follow were the 2024 EPs like Where Did All the Love Go? and Mother. Looking at the last two EPS more closely, the first arrived in April 2024, with the other in October 2024, and it was clear Ward was boldly shifting toward a more traditional Blues Rock sound. Exciting, you might argue her soulful voice shines most explicitly in this style… and it certainly would be extremely compelling to hear more. Well, in 2025, Ward is giving you exactly that with her brand new full-length album Liberation.
Fittingly titled, Liberation almost feels like Ward’s career decisions four years earlier led to this point where she has united her past and her present into the whole creative artist she wants to be. Released on March 14, 2025, through Dirty Shine Records (injunction with Sun Records, which discovered legends such as Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash), it is a power collection that begs your attention.
It consistently consists of fourteen songs, some of which you may recognize, with three of them (“Mother,” “My Baby Left Me,” and “Cadillac Man”) carried over from the Mother EP. Each of these sensational songs, the original “Mother,” is a shining example of real-life experience transformed perfectly into the Blues, with Ward singing passionately about the selflessness of being a mom.
Joining these, other originals like “Love Alive” and “Liberation” are both ear-tingling tracks where Ward’s voice completely engulfs you with peaks of emotion as the instrumentation acts as a flawless backbone. This is while “Lioness” is an empowering piece about the tendency a lady has to have to make it in the music industry to rise above inequality. Something you can feel deeply inside, Ward lays it on the line and lets you know she can be ever bit everything she wants to be, including a loving and dedicated mother.
Altogether, ZZ Ward has made a bold transformation into the leading Blues Rock lady she was always meant to be. Unafraid, she steps right into Liberation with a delightful combination of her own penned songs and some classic covers. In truth, it all melds together flawlessly, and credit needs to be given not only to Ward for exceptional performance but also to the production of Ryan Spraker (who also plays organ, guitar, piano, and bass for the record) as well as the other musicians involved. An album with grit, soul, blood, sweat, and tears, Cryptic Rock gives ZZ Ward’s Liberation 5 out of 5 stars.
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