Jesse Clegg’s single, “Speed of Light” was released in October 2020. It’s available to stream and download on all major music streaming platforms.

Jesse Clegg has created some of his best work while in Los Angeles.  Under normal circumstances, he often finds himself working under pressure but add a looming travel ban and Jesse Clegg found himself in unchartered territory in March of this year!

But, regardless of all of this, Jesse Clegg managed to make magic in studio and get back to South Africa in time before going into a complete lockdown.  What has resulted is his long-anticipated new hit single, “‘Speed of Light”, an upbeat pop-inspired track about how life can still hold some inspiring surprises, even at our lowest points.

Jesse Clegg explains “Speed of Light”

“The song is written from the perspective of someone who is dealing with disappointment and regret, and then suddenly stumbles into an experience that allows him to rediscover his passion and feeling of connection.  It’s ultimately about how, even at our lowest points, life can still hold some inspiring surprises.”

Jesse wrote and produced the song with Nick Furlong (Avicci, 5 Seconds of Summer, Kygo, Steve Aoki) and Nick Petricca (lead singer of Walk the Moon); the track was mixed by Tim Pagnotta (Grammy-winning producer for Blink 182, Neon Trees and Walk the Moon).  the result of working with such formidable world-class producers is evident in the quality of the new song.

The single is an exciting variation from his acoustic rock sound combining his synonymous writing style with a bold and unpredictable production. “Speed of Light” follows on the back of Jesse’s previous chart-topping hit, “Let It Burn”, which marked his first new original music since the release of “I’ve Been Looking” in March 2018; the first and only collaboration he did with his father (Johnny Clegg).

I have to admit that pop is not always my cup of tea (when it comes to my music taste), but “Speed Of Light” is definitely one of the best produced pop songs that I’ve heard in 2020. It’s catchy. I’m curious to see what Jesse Clegg comes up in the near future.

Adding to the impact of the song, an inspiring music video about never giving up was released today (the 24th of February 2021).

Jesse Clegg describes the meaning behind the video

“The video tells the story of a young athlete from a challenging background who is passionate about running.  The story follows her as she chases her dream of becoming a professional runner against all odds, pushing herself to her limits to reach her goal. This captures the idea of the song which is about finding meaning, love and passion in our darkest moments.” 

Shot in Cape Town City Centre, the video – directed by Garth Von Glehn – captures the essence of real-life athlete, Chelsea-Sloan Samuels, as she overcomes the conflict within herself and channels all her energy into her running.

With a complete lockdown looming back in March 2020, Jesse had the challenge to complete the single in time to get back to South Africa.  What felt like the ‘Speed of Light’, Jesse was able to create a formidable world-class single.  The upbeat pop-inspired track was written and produced in the US with Nick Furlong (Avicci, 5 Seconds of Summer, Kygo, Steve Aoki) and Nick Petricca (lead singer of Walk the Moon); the track was mixed by Tim Pagnotta (Grammy-winning producer for Blink 182, Neon Trees and Walk the Moon).

You can stream / download “Speed of Light” HERE.

Watch this space for updates in the Music category on Running Wolf’s Rant.