In case you haven't heard, Sara Bareilles who is known for her hit songs "Love Song" and "Gravity," and who also wrote the music for one of my favorite Broadway shows "Waitress," released a single a couple of months ago entitled "Armor" and it is, in my opinion, just what the music industry needed. Just by listening to songs that Bareilles has written such as "She Used To Be Mine" (which happens to be the ballad about finding yourself and becoming empowered that the main character in "Waitress," Jenna, sings) and "Love Song," you can tell that she is all about promoting the empowerment of women. Sara's new single "Armor" deals with women empowerment as well, but in this track, Sara takes it to the next level.
In this extremely impactful and uplifting track, Sara talks about how women are frequently treated as though they are inferior and subservient to men, and in order to combat this mentality we, as women, need to stand up for ourselves, prove society wrong, and fight back with our "armor". Now, you may be asking yourself what does Sara mean by armor? Is she referring to actual physical armor or does she mean armor in terms of using our words and verbally standing up for ourselves? Of course, what she means by armor is up for interpretation and different people are all going to think it means something different. However, I personally believe that Sara is using the word "armor" to mean courage and the ability to stand up for oneself.
But the fact that what Bareilles means by armor is up for interpretation by listeners, doesn't affect how impactful this song and its message are. I believe that through this song Sara is trying to make a statement about how women will not be silenced or made to feel as if they are any less than their male counterparts. Essentially, Sara is utilizing this particular song as a sort of call to action for women from all walks of life and from all around the world to rise up and change society's mentality regarding women to one that is more accepting and embracing.
In my opinion, a single like "Armor" that very blatantly encourages women empowerment is just what the music industry, radio, and fans of Sara's music needed, especially in a time where unfortunately even though it's 2019, issues like equality for women are still as prevalent as ever. And this track speaks to just how prevalent these issues still are. So essentially the track serves as a wake-up call to certain individuals in society who are blind to the ever-increasing prevalence of the social inequality of men and women. In terms of my initial reaction to the song, when I first heard I, of course, loved it, not only because I am a huge fan of Sara Bareilles and her music, but also because I love the messages that are conveyed within the song, the track is truly exceptional and eye-opening. So, thank you, Sara, for creating yet another beautiful piece of music that is not only amazing but also has a lasting impact.
