Well-known for quick hits like “Love Song” and “King of Anything,” few listeners realize the many dimensions to the voice of Sara Bareilles.
While uptempo, energetic ditties tend to top charts for her more often, Bareilles can channel her voice from deep within to share deep emotions through her music. The most popular song that features the uncharted depths of her voice is “Gravity,” a compelling ballad chronicling the life of a girl who will do anything to stay out of her boyfriend’s life.
Featured in a memorable number on So You Think You Can Dance, this is the closest listeners have come to realizing Bareilles’s full potential. However, with her latest extended play album Once Upon Another Time, which quickly rose to No. 3 on the charts, she demonstrates her vocal talent like none of her previous releases.
The most popular song on the disc, entitled “Stay,” features her voice paired with a track dominated by string instruments and gospel-style backup singers. The song’s slow rhythm emphasizes the lyrical aspects of the piece, and highlights the many vocal runs that fill the song.
The third composition is called “Lie to Me.” Sung in a minor key and with a faster tempo, much of the song harkens to her past successes, but the complicated topic and unique musical interlude causes her melodic, spiteful voice to stand out against the steady beat in the background.
All five songs on the album are longer than four minutes, and Bareilles has filled them with powerful lyrics, emotional tracks, and beautiful vocals. Her latest release definitely allows viewers to catch a small glimpse of the raw talent hiding behind the shallow pop songs. While her voice easily lends itself to those “tweeny” tracks, she should continue to pursue more mature music with more complex topics, as it’s the kind of music for which her voice was made.
