If you’re waiting for another "Come Away With Me," you’re going to be waiting a long time. Honestly, that’s the best thing about the new album by Norah Jones. It’s called Visions, and it sounds like she finally stopped trying to be the "Jazz Girl" the world fell in love with two decades ago.
She’s free. You can hear it in the fuzzy guitars and the way she isn't afraid to let things get a little messy.
For years, critics and casual listeners alike have boxed her into this "coffee shop" aesthetic. It’s a comfortable box, sure. It’s profitable. But Visions—her ninth studio album released through Blue Note Records—burns that box down. Teaming up with Leon Michels (the mastermind behind El Michels Affair and a huge player in the Dap-Kings universe), Jones has traded her polite piano arrangements for something much more "garage-soul." It’s funky. It’s weird. It’s easily her most unpredictable work yet.
Why Visions is the "Yang" to Her Previous Darkness
Context matters here. Her last full-length original effort, Pick Me Up Off the Floor, came out in 2020. It was heavy. It felt like the pandemic—claustrophobic, lonely, and deeply sad.
Visions is the exact opposite. Blue Note President Don Was actually called it the "yang to the yin." While her previous work was about being stuck, this record is about waking up. Literally. Jones has mentioned that many of these songs came to her in that weird, blurry state between wakefulness and sleep. She’d jolt awake in the middle of the night with a melody, record a quick voice memo, and go back to sleep.
💡 You might also like: Dark Reign Fantastic Four: Why This Weirdly Political Comic Still Holds Up
That raw, unfiltered energy carries through the whole 12-song set.
The Leon Michels Factor
You can't talk about the new album by Norah Jones without talking about Leon Michels. This wasn't a "send me your files and I'll mix them" kind of collaboration. They were in the room together, throwing things at the wall.
Michels brings a specific kind of grit. He’s used to working with artists like Lee Fields and Sharon Jones. On tracks like "Running" (the lead single), you can hear his influence in the off-kilter drums and the crinkly, vintage keyboard sounds. It’s not "perfect" in a digital sense, and that’s why it works. It feels human.
Breaking Down the Tracks: It's More Than Just Jazz
The album kicks off with "All This Time," which actually feels the most like "classic Norah." It has that slow, syrupy piano and a hint of birdsong in the background. But don't let the intro fool you. By the time you get to "Staring at the Wall," the mood shifts.
📖 Related: Cuatro estaciones en la Habana: Why this Noir Masterpiece is Still the Best Way to See Cuba
Key Highlights from the Tracklist:
- "Running": This is the heart of the record. It’s got a groove that feels like a midnight drive. The lyrics were co-written by Jones and Michels, and it’s one of those songs that feels like a fever dream.
- "Paradise": The music video for this one is great—directed by Joelle Grace Taylor, it’s basically a celebration of life’s rollercoasters. It’s upbeat, which is still a bit of a shock for longtime fans.
- "Queen of the Sea": Here, Jones picks up the guitar. It’s got a country-folk-blues vibe that reminds you she’s a Texas girl at heart. Some critics have found this one a bit thin on substance, but it adds a nice layer of "rawness" to the middle of the album.
- "Swept Up in the Night": This is where the "visionary" aspect really hits. It’s psychedelic and dreamy. She sings about "wings of God" and staring at the sky. It’s moody in the best way possible.
The musicianship on the record is top-tier but never showy. You’ve got Brian Blade and Homer Steinweiss (another Dap-Kings alum) on drums, Dave Guy on trumpet, and Jesse Murphy on bass. These are people who know how to play "around" a vocal rather than over it.
The 2024-2025 Tour and Beyond
If you caught her on the Visions tour through 2024 and 2025, you know the vibe was different. I saw her at the Blossom Music Center, and it wasn't some high-octane rock show. It was intimate. She spent a lot of time at her white grand piano, but she also stood up to play electric piano and guitar.
She even brought out Mavis Staples for some dates. Think about that pairing. It makes sense because Visions is fundamentally a soul record, even if it’s filed under "Jazz" on the Billboard charts. Speaking of charts, the album actually debuted at #1 on the Jazz Albums chart, which isn't a surprise, but it also cracked the Top 40 for Rock & Alternative. That tells you everything you need to know about the genre-bending happening here.
Is This the "New" Norah Jones?
People always ask if an artist is "returning to their roots" or "reinventing" themselves. Honestly, it feels like she’s just stopped caring about the labels.
👉 See also: Cry Havoc: Why Jack Carr Just Changed the Reece-verse Forever
On Visions, she sounds like someone who is having fun. There’s a track called "I Just Wanna Dance," and she means it. After twenty years of being the "soothing voice" for everyone's Sunday morning, she’s allowed to want to groove a little.
Some die-hard jazz purists might find the fuzzy production and garage-y feel a bit much. They might miss the pristine, crystal-clear piano of her early days. But if you actually listen to the lyrics, the depth is still there. "Alone With My Thoughts" is a beautiful, heavy-hitting ballad about deep love and the fear that comes with it. She hasn't lost her touch; she’s just changed her tools.
What You Should Do Next
If you haven't sat down with the new album by Norah Jones yet, don't just put it on as background music while you're doing the dishes. Give it a real "active" listen.
- Grab the Vinyl: If you're a collector, look for the Target exclusive "teal blend" or the indie store "orange blend." The warmth of vinyl really suits the "crinkly" production Michels brought to the table.
- Listen for the Textures: Pay attention to the percussion. It’s not your standard jazz kit sound. It’s fuzzy, it’s dry, and it’s very 1970s soul.
- Compare it to her Podcast: If you want to see how she’s been experimenting, check out her podcast Norah Jones is Playing Along. She jams with people like Questlove and Logic, and you can see how those spontaneous collaborations paved the way for the "anything goes" spirit of Visions.
This isn't just another album to fill a contract. It's a statement. Norah Jones is awake, she's free, and she's finally making exactly what she wants to hear. It’s about time we caught up to her.