SINGER-SONGWRITER Jessica Sweetman has released her powerful new single, Rise Up, accompanied by a cinematic music video starring Clontarf actor Emmett J. Scanlan.
The euphoric folk-pop track explores themes of resilience, reinvention and finding strength after adversity — ideas that closely reflect Sweetman's own unconventional journey through the music industry.
Filmed against the coastal backdrop of Hastings, the Rise Up video combines raw emotion with cinematic storytelling, pairing Sweetman's soaring vocals with a striking on-screen performance from Scanlan.
The pair first met at The Irish Post Awards in 2025, where Sweetman performed the song and Scanlan was a presenter.
After the ceremony, the actor approached her about making a music video for the track, and the project quickly became a reality.
Speaking about the collaboration, Scanlan said: "Jessica was so insanely collaborative and trusting throughout the whole process of making this video.
"I really felt invited into her story, her journey. The fact that the song is, in my opinion, a total beauty, was just an added bonus. I hope you love watching this video as much as we loved shooting it."
Sweetman and Scanlan on setHe added: “I met Jessica at the after party of The Irish Post awards. A couple of hours previously she had just held a room of 1,000 Irish people with a free bar in the palm of her hand. You could hear a pin drop. Not an easy feat.
“I went up to Jessica and congratulated her. I told her if she ever wanted someone to be in her music video, I’m the guy.
“Literally the next day she got in contact and proposed we do Rise Up. Fast forward a couple of months later and we’re on set, filming.
“It was a beautiful time. A beautiful experience. A beautifully dark & hopeful video. None of which would have happened had we not been invited to take part in the Irish Post Awards.
Born near Birmingham and educated in Sutton Coldfield, Sweetman's route into music began under challenging circumstances. During her mid-teens, her family relocated to Cornwall while her father commuted back to Birmingham for work.
It was during this period that she began performing at local venues to help support her family. What started as a necessity soon became a passion. Encouraged by her father, who managed her early performances, she developed as both a songwriter and performer, teaching herself to record demos and eventually co-producing her own music.
The actor and singer-songwriter met at the Irish Post Awards 2025By her late teens, Sweetman had moved to London to pursue music full-time. She immersed herself in the capital's live music scene, often playing several gigs a night in cigar bars and jazz venues around Mayfair. Those years helped shape the distinctive voice, stage presence and determination that continue to define her career.
Seeking a fresh creative start, she later moved to New York. According to her team, she spent two weeks secretly living and writing songs inside the Nashville offices of BMG, working through the night until label executives discovered her demos. Those recordings ultimately led to a recording contract with the company.
Since then, Sweetman has released songs including Stay Wild and Single Bells, recorded Broken Perfect Love with tenor Alfie Boe, collaborated with Paul Oakenfold, and opened for Van Morrison and Hozier.
With its themes of grit, risk and reinvention, Rise Up marks what Sweetman hopes will be the beginning of a new chapter in her career.
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