Clare Maguire - “Don’t Mess Me Around” (Official Video)

Clare Maguire has been through some shit. After landing a once-in-a-lifetime record deal at the tender age of 17, the singer was poked and prodded into a pop star image that was the opposite of what the singer wanted for herself. Following the flop of her major label debut, she grappled with alcohol abuse, got clean, and re-emerged ready for her second lifetime — and it’s been a spectacular one. Now that Maguire is calling the musical shots, her sound leans toward blues, folk, and Americana and builds on the foundation of intensely emotional, brazen female songwriters. While most of those songs were slow-paced and down tempo, Maguire is on her diva shit in new song “Don’t Mess Me Around.” This time, she’s berating a philanderer while surrounded by a feisty, dancing sequin-clad choir of backup ladies. As she belts out her aggression, I can’t help but remember her past. This is a woman who has seen rock bottom and emerged stronger than ever. Do not mess her around. Watch the James Willis-directed video.