Liverpool-based songwriter Jennifer Ness opens the year with purpose on ‘Over Proud’, a sharp, affirming slice of dance-pop that turns self-acceptance into something physical, communal, and unashamedly loud, and we premiere it here at LOCK.
Built on glossy 80s-inflected synths and modern electronic clarity, the track thrives on momentum, confident, celebratory, and engineered for movement.
There’s a clear lineage running through ‘Over Proud’: the theatrical self-belief of Lady Gaga and the poised confidence of Madonna’s Vogue era surface in the track’s sleek production and commanding melodic lines. Yet Ness avoids nostalgia cosplay. Instead, she uses these references as tools, reframing classic pop empowerment through a contemporary lens that feels lived-in rather than performative. The result is warm but defiant, a song that doesn’t ask permission to take up space.
Lyrically, Ness centres body positivity and self-worth without slipping into cliché. Her writing is direct and emotionally grounded, delivering its message with clarity rather than grandiosity. It’s this balance, between polish and sincerity, that gives ‘Over Proud’ its staying power, elevating it beyond a simple feel-good anthem into something quietly resolute.
Community and personal experience remain central to Ness’ artistic identity, and that sense of closeness subtly informs the track’s tone. There’s an intimacy beneath the high-gloss production, reinforcing the idea that confidence isn’t performative but claimed. As Ness herself puts it, it’s not something you earn, it’s something you decide.
With echoes of Pet Shop Boys–style synth-pop meeting modern female-led power pop, ‘Over Proud’ positions Jennifer Ness as an artist with both a clear message and a growing command of her sound. It’s a confident step forward, and a reminder that pop, at its best, can still be radical in its joy.