Listen: Jason Mraz shows his softer side on 'I Won't Give Up'

Fans who are familiar with Jason Mraz through his jaunty “The Remedy” or ubiquitous “I’m Yours,” will see a completely different side on “I Won’t Give Up.”

The largely acoustic ballad, which is ripe for a country remake (Rascal Flatts, we are talking to you), is a poignant tale about a lost relationship that Mraz exits with his head held high.

The gentle tone was no doubt influenced by Mraz’s international acoustic tour, which took him through five continents before it wrapped in December.

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“ I Won’t Give Up” will be featured on Mraz’s next album, his first new studio set since 2008’s “We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things.”   "This new album has less horns, it's got more piano and guitar textures. A lot more vocal landscapes," Mraz told Billboard in December. "That, to me, has always been my favorite part of making music; the singing and what voices can do and the voices singing in harmony."

While he says he hasn’t given up his funkier side, this album is mellower than past efforts. “There's a couple of up-tempo tunes, but mostly the rhythm of the heartbeat kind of takes precedence on this record. Medium-tempo tunes; which I love. It feels more like the pace of life. At least, based on my life and what I've been doing."

No release date has been set, but expect the new album in the first half of this year.

Do you like “I Won’t Give Up?”

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