Whether You’re Healing From A Heartbreak Or Just Appreciate A Good Ballad, Sarah Johnson’s New Single Will Suit Your Bittersweet Needs.
Welcome to Song of the Day, where we hip you to all the new local releases you should be caring about. By highlighting one new North Texas-sprung tune every week day, our hope is that you’ll find something new to love about the rich and abundant DFW music scene five days a week.
Sarah Johnson — “Fire”
RIYL: emotional ballads
What else you should know: We premiered Johnson’s dreamy debut official music video for “Red Bandana” in 2020, and now it’s time for another go with the Americana singer-songwriter.
Sarah Johnson is coming to terms with a relationship that fell short on her latest release, “Fire.”
The piano-driven break-up ballad is a clear reminder that it can be much easier to ditch the rose-colored glasses once a relationship is said and done. Johnson’s storytelling abilities are irrefutable. Poignantly relatable lyrics such as “I stayed around longer than I should” and “This could’ve been healing but you only cause pain” are delivered in subtle harmony during each chorus.
We definitely think this one is perfect for therapeutic car ride sing-along sessions.
The second verse introduces a guitar hook and bassline that guides her expressive, emotional vocals through the memories of a failed relationship and comes to terms with her ex-partner’s shortcomings.
And when it comes to the outro, it feels like a haunting sentiment about the uncertainties and complexities that come with healing from a relationship and daring to start over. An electric guitar hook intensifies as Johnson vows to inevitably meet her match with dreamy vocalizations.
The five-minute track was recorded at the iconic Modern Electric with Beau Bedford, who worked with Johnson on her 2020 debut EP Volcano, and Jeff Saenz, who owns the studio.
Johnson has released a handful of singles so far and got her start writing songs at just two years old. In addition to music, Johnson is a fine artist and she just recently helped put together Girls Of DFW, a concert series that launched in early March and aims to highlight up-and-coming Dallas-area female singer-songwriters. And with the talent and hustle she possesses, we trust that she’s bringing forth some good stuff.
And the “Fire” doesn’t stop here, look out for the music video for this single coming out next week.