Most of the time, I can enjoy a singer-songwriter and keep my love of them (mostly) to myself. Sara Bareilles, however, is on a different level. When I come across an artist of her caliber, I need to share my feelings with the world.
Her music has the ability to break my heart and heal it at the same time. Her voice embodies the type of power that shows she means business, yet the sensitivity in her voice is still able to shine through. Her vibrato is superb, and her belt is mesmerizing. Simply put, her voice is emotional and beautiful. In addition to this, her lyrics always seem to strike the right chord deep within the depths of my heart. Sara is the master of writing about pain and matters of the heart.
At a recent show, she had people ask her questions on slips of paper, and she answered a few of them on Facebook. Someone asked if joy, pain, hope, or love is her favorite source of inspiration, and she answered, "I like to write about pain. I get too distracted by how much fun it is to feel happy so I always run around and just feel it while it's there. Pain is the thing that knocks me off my ass and makes me sit still enough to write." Her songs that are centered around matters of the heart are always the ones that cause me to really bear the weight of her words.
Since my own words cannot do her lyrics justice, I'm going to list a few of my favorite songs of hers so you can take a listen yourself.
"Bright Lights and Cityscapes" from her EP, "Once Upon Another Time" is one of those songs that hurts my heart. The song is all about the feelings of longing for another human. Take that as you will.
"Send Me the Moon" from her EP, "Kaleidoscope." I recently stumbled upon this gem on Spotify, and now I wish I had discovered it before. Her voice is angelic, and this song paints a beautiful word-picture.
"She Used To Be Mine" from her new CD, "Waitress." "Waitress" is a musical that is currently in the process of transitioning from previews to the Great White Way. Yes, that's right ladies and gentlemen, Sara Bareilles wrote the music to a Broadway musical adaptation of the movie Waitress. Is there anything she can't do? No, not really.
Her single "Love Is Christmas." This song does a wonderful job of conveying the true spirit of the upcoming holiday season. This is the perfect song to listen to while you curl up in a giant blanket on your overstuffed sofa and drink a little hot cocoa.
"I Choose You" from her CD, "the Blessed Unrest." This is one of her few songs that aren't about a painful subject, and yet this one still evokes similar feelings of a full heart. The only difference is the heavy heart feeling from this song is a warming one. Next time you are feeling extra appreciative of your partner or spouse, play them this song. If you don't have a partner, watch this music video and it will feel like you do.
It seems as if artists from this era that have the ability to consistently induce these intense feelings in his or her listeners are few and far between. So far in my young, short life, I have discovered few other artists that consistently produce as heart-wrenchingly beautiful music as she does. Not only is she a great talent, she seems like one of the most "real" famous people in the business.
She hasn't let fame cloud her head, and she always takes the time to interact with her fans on a personal basis. Sara B. has paved the way as a role-model and all-around inspiring woman, and will continue to do so for as long as she chooses to keep blessing us with her music.
