Ferreira gets in the groove of giving thanks on "Grateful"

Ferreira's latest single, "Grateful," immediately warms you up from the start. Combining the musical traditions of Afrobeat and heart-on-your-sleeve pop melodies, the track is a soulful declaration of love and gratitude that manages to sound both profoundly personal and universally relatable. On "Grateful," Ferreira doesn't just put out another single; he gives you a light and a connection, if only for a moment.

The groove hooks you from the start with an irresistible Afrobeat thump, and Ferreira's creamy, pared-down vocal brings the emotion to the fore. There's a genuineness to his voice that makes you want to lean in, like he's sharing some whispered truth with you: Gratitude is powerful, and it's something to enjoy.

But what elevates "Grateful" is that it is hopeful that never veers toward pabulum, festive but not frivolous. Ferreira isn't just singing about gratitude; he gives it to you, threading through the heart of each note. By the time the chorus whirs to ear-almost-splitting-’70s-full volume, it's no longer the sound of a performance, but the sound of someone reminding the world that life has its simple pleasures.

"Grateful" has an ageless feel, but Ferreira sings it with a something-in-the-air urgency. There are Afrobeat-informed rhythms that'll keep your body moving, and pop instincts that ensure you won't forget it after it's stopped. It's the sort of track you'd e-mail to someone you love or put on whenever you need a gentle nudge that, O.K., there's something in the world that's still worth smiling at. It's music with heart, rhythm with a purpose, a message we cannot hear too often.

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