Sara Bareilles is an American actress, author, and producer. Known as one of the most under-rated American artists, Sara Bareilles has won several major awards during her career. She kicked off her career by releasing her debut album ‘Careful Confessions’ in 2004. Then, in 2007, she released her second album ‘Little Voice’. Both the albums received a positive response from the critics and fans.
The album ‘Little Voice’ featured a hit song ‘Love Song’ that climbed the no.4 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 and even earned her to Grammy Award nominations. Throughout her career, Sara Bareilles has been referred to as an artist who puts both soul and creativity into whatever she creates and releases. Considering her successful career and several awards won by her, Sara Bareilles is still unknown to many. Therefore, this article aims to look back at the most popular songs by Sara Bareilles to see how big of a star she actually was.
Love on the Rocks
Sara Bareilles with her song ‘Love on the Rocks’ gave the fans exactly what they wanted. It was a remake of Elton John’s ‘Bennie and the Jet’s. Referred to as the modernized version, Love on the Rocks featured a balance of both powerful vocals and piano chords along with heavy percussion. If you ever had the opportunity to listen to the song, it would surely take you back to the 70s, on a rainy evening with a whiskey in one hand, while your heart is broken but one thing still intact, pride.
Manhattan
According to some, perhaps the reason behind Sara Bareilles being underrated was the fact that people couldn’t really understand her music. Her music was only for those who felt it. On the other hand, it was boring for those who wanted to extract some fun out of it. Ofcourse every song was different but so was the vibe, which many people could not catch. If you think about it, somewhere there is a bit of truth to that as in the case of ‘Manhattan’.
Manhattan was a song on her album ‘Blessed Unrest’, probably the most melancholy track of its time. Sara received a Grammy nomination for the ‘Album of the Year’, which fans claimed that she deserved it. Sara was living in New York when she came up with the song ‘Manhattan’. It was the album’s centerpiece. In the song, she mentions letting go of someone who does not return the love she gave them while saying goodbye to another love (New York City).
King of Anything
King of Anything was a completely different concept. This song had an idea and vibe that no other Sara Bareilles song had. Although it wasn’t as big as ‘Brave’ or ‘Love Song’ but the production that was carefully arranged caught everyone’s attention. Furthermore, Sara herself in the song could be seen rocking a different yet lovely defiant look. King of Anything was the lead single off her third album ‘Kaleidoscope’ that earned her a Grammy Award nomination. Back when it was released in 2010, the song was repeatedly being played on several stations. It supported a motivational spirit and rocked with anyone who wanted to lift their mood.
Gravity
Gravity was a difficult song for Sara Bareilles as it talked about her first breakup. In the song, one could easily see the weak spot of Sara herself, while she puts life into the gut-wrenching lyrics. The song was not a big hit, probably because was more of a personal experience than something meant for entertainment. Sara Bareilles herself did not put in much effort other than promoting it during her tour ‘Gravity’ but the list would be incomplete if we were not to mention the song. Furthermore, it was a single of her third and final album ‘Little Voice’. Those who have heard the song claim that they could feel Sara’s heartbreak and the cries to somehow be able to change the past. But it was something that could now only be put into words.
Cassiopeia
When Cassiopeia was released, fans stated that it was Sara Bareilles’s major hit in a while. It was a song from her album ‘The Blessed Unrest’ and one could easily observe that it was Sara’s best effort to introduce impressive violins and drums along with a chorus that just explodes. At this point, the majority of fans and critics were proved wrong. They had thought that Sara was just a piano and a voice girl. Little did they know that she would knock everyone’s perception of her out of the park. As a result, listeners had to review and force themselves to change their perspective about Sara Bareilles.
Between the Lines
On October 28, 2008, Bareilles released her song ‘Between the Lines’. The song showcased Sara’s ability to understand the complexities of relationships and put them into words using her strong songwriting abilities. As Sara had previously explained her first heartbreak in the song ‘Gravity’ one could not deny the fact that she indeed has a knack for understanding relationship complexities.
In the song, Sara could be seen trying to explain and address the miscommunication problem that is a major cause of relationships breaking apart. Furthermore, she states that such problems occur when one person in a relationship lives both in denial and gray and fails to address a problem that could have been easily prevented otherwise. If you were to just listen to its hook, you will know how heart-breaking it is and worth listening at the same time.
One Sweet Love
In this song, Sara Bareilles pens her all relatable heartbreak. She brilliantly laid down some bars related to butterflies, heartbreaks, and everything both good and bad that comes in between. One Sweet Love is a song for those who have already had their hearts broken several times but are still willing to give love a chance. Difficult but not impossible. Furthermore, she tries to make you understand that while somethings might not work out the way you want them to but you should not lose hope. Good things come with time and while you are going through your toughest, hold on, this is life and you are not alone.
Final Word
Even though Sara Bareilles’s career was short-lived, it managed to impress those who followed her. She had begun her career and ended it at a time when some of the most popular artists of today were starting. Therefore, it could be said that she chose to put an end to her incredible talent at its peak. Regardless, Sara Bareilles’s songs continue to touch hearts and pull off strings whenever heard and that alone is enough to highlight what an incredible artist she was, who managed to pull off things, other artists of the time couldn’t, especially considering such a short-lived career.