90’s Icon Sophie B. Hawkins is back with another track that ranks up there with ‘As I lay Me Down‘ as one of my favorite songs by this gifted singer-songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist.
‘Better Off Without You’ is the story about betrayal and ultimately, self love. Musically, the mood is set right from the beginning. The somber-feeling combination of the guitar and piano should not go unnoticed here. It sets up Sophie’s haunting first line beautifully. “You lie to my face. You stole my happiness.”
The song captures your imagination right away and left me wondering where we were going next. But oh – that pre-chorus. It gives a hint of optimism before the song reaches another level and soars during the chorus. My first thought when the chorus started.. Now that’s how you write a topline! I’ve been hooked ever since.
Sophie is such a gifted songwriter.
A dynamic creative force, Sophie has always been fully involved in every aspect of the production of her records herself, from background vocals and playing
her own instruments as a multi–instrumentalist, to engineering and
production of her albums.
Listen here:
https://sophieb.fanlink.to/BtrOffwoU
Better Off Without You” follows the single that kicked off this new era for the artist, “Love Yourself,” a soul–stirring piece of symphonic pop about confidence and the way we talk about ourselves, reframing our inner dialogue to change patterns and bring healing. Sophie will be rolling out more new music soon, culminating in an album this spring. It’s an exciting new creative chapter for the legendary artist whose indelible hit songs such as “Damn, I Wish I Was Your Lover” and “As I Lay Me Down” have been featured in cultural touchstone TV shows and films (from recent hits Stranger Things, Euphoria, Ozark, and PEN15, to landmark series Beverly Hills, 90210, Dawson’s Creek, The L Word and more) and who has always been ahead of her time with her steadfast activism supporting such causes as environmental protection, animal rights and LGBTQ equality; using her songwriting and platform for positive change with the forward–thinking, pioneering outlook she has championed all along.
I’ll leave it up to you to continue the path I’ve started here but there’s a line that has stuck with me from the second verse: “We changed the world.. until you took my best friend.. to bed.” It’s probably not meant to be an arc of the song but it was one of the most powerful points in the track.
Excited to see what the future brings for Sophie and the new music that will follow. I’ve been a fan for a long time and I’m so happy to she is releasing such great music in 2023.
-Tommy Marz
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