| Dirty Shine | |
| Type: | studio |
| Artist: | ZZ Ward |
| Cover: | ZZ Ward Dirty Shine.png |
| Length: | 38:20 |
| Label: |
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| Producer: |
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| Prev Title: | The Storm |
| Prev Year: | 2017 |
| Next Title: | Where Did All the Love Go? |
| Next Year: | 2024 |
Dirty Shine is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter ZZ Ward and her debut release through her independent label Dirty Shine Records.[1] [2] The album follows The Storm (2017) and features vocals from Aloe Blacc, Jean Deaux, and Vic Mensa. A deluxe edition named the Dirty Deluxe was released on November 17, 2023.
In promotion of the album, Ward embarked on her One Hell of a Night Tour.
As her first release as an independent artist, Ward wanted to be able to have complete control and freedom, saying that "you can get sidetracked trying to please other people, or label and what they want from you or what they see from you."[3]
The phrase "dirty shine" means to be embrace your authentic self and while being dirty and rough around the edges. It was started when Ward released her first album Til the Casket Drops.[4]
The lead single, "Tin Cups" with Aloe Blacc, was released on October 14, 2022, with a music video released November 16. It is her first song in two years following "Giant" in 2020. Ward stated that "the addition of Aloe elevated this song and added depth that only an artist of his caliber can."[5]
A second single, "Baby Don't" featuring DijahSB, was released March 10, 2023.[6] A music video for the solo version of the song was released March 24. The video is part one of a series of videos written, directed, and produced by Adam William Ward.
The third single, "Ride or Die" featuring Vic Mensa, was released May 3, 2023.[7] It is part two of the music video series.
The fourth single, "Forget About Us", was released June 16, 2023.[8]
The fifth single, "On One" featuring Jean Deaux, was released July 28, 2023.[9] The music video omits Deaux's verse and includes a solo verse from Ward. It is the finale of the music video series.
The sixth and final single, "Evil on the Inside" was released on October 13, 2023. It was included in the Dirty Deluxe edition of the album.
Dirty Shine received widespread critical acclaim. Critics praised Ward's versatility in blending the blues rock and hip-hop genres and her overall performance. Pete Francis from Blues Rock Review called the album "different in a great way", giving it an 8.5/10. He also named "Ride Or Die", "Dead Or Alive", "Baby Don't", "Tin Cups", and "Don't Let Me Down" standout tracks.[10]