Jon Batiste has shared a stunning new ballad of enduring love, “It Never Went Away,” written for a new documentary, American Symphony, about Batiste and his partner, the author-artist, Suleika Jaoaud.
The film, directed by Matthew Heineman, follows Batiste and Jaouad over a tumultuous year in their life as Batiste composes his first symphony and Jaouad undergoes treatment for lung cancer. “It Never Went Away” — which Batiste co-wrote with Semisonic frontman Dan Wilson (who’s also collaborated with artists from Adele to Taylor Swift) — acknowledges that turmoil, but ultimately celebrates a strong, serene love that transcends everything.
In a statement, Batiste said, “‘It Never Went Away’ details a love that outlasts any condition of the physical world. It probes the question of our mortality, while at the same time speaking to the enduring quality of our deepest callings and desires. That part of us that stands in protest to the ills of the physical world is, in fact, evidence of our perpetual nature.”
American Symphony premiered at the Telluride Film Festival earlier this year, and it’s set to have its wide release on Netflix next Wednesday, Nov. 29.
Back in August, Batiste released his seventh studio album, World Music Radio. The LP followed his hit 2021 album, We Are, which famously won several Grammys, including Album of the Year. Batiste is again nominated for a bunch of Grammys this year, including Album of the Year, Record of the Year (“Worship”), and Song of the Year (“Butterfly”).
Batiste is set to hit the road next year in support of World Music Radio, with the run kicking off Feb. 16 in Portland, Oregon and wrapping April 27 in Miramar Beach, Florida.
Earlier this month, Batiste appeared at Rolling Stone’s first “Musicians on Musicians” event, where he was joined in conversation by Gucci Mane. During the chat, the two shared stories about some of their biggest and best songs, making music from a place of joy, and how their Southern roots inspired their music.