Sara Bareilles has released her first studio album in seven years, titled “Good Grief,” focusing primarily on themes of loss and mourning. The project was inspired by the death of her longtime best friend and former tour manager Chad Joseph, who died of cancer. The album addresses multiple forms of loss beyond this personal tragedy, including struggles with fertility through IVF, broader sociopolitical concerns, and romantic heartbreak.
The album opens with “Home,” which draws on reflections about grief shared by public figures Stephen Colbert and Anderson Cooper regarding how loss is often suppressed in everyday conversation. The second track, “Just Kids,” directly commemorates her deceased friend with a blend of wryness and emotional depth. “Still Crying,” co-produced by Aaron Dessner, presents grief through an unexpected musical lens, employing waltz-tempo and doo-wop influences rather than traditional ballad arrangements. This unconventional approach to sonically expressing sorrow characterizes much of the album’s approach.
Bareilles addresses multiple personal and societal concerns across the tracklist. “Ladies in Line” deals with her publicly discussed experiences with fertility challenges. Two songs engage with American sociopolitical themes: “Hands Off My Body” explores reproductive autonomy through dramatic, percussive arrangements, while “Heartland” presents a patriotic ballad from the perspective of the Statue of Liberty. “Say Leave” functions as a breakup ballad, drawing on others’ romantic experiences rather than solely her own.
The album balances its heavy thematic material through varied musical styles and moments of levity. “Nervous Breakdown” employs jazz shuffle rhythms and cabaret-style instrumentation to address anxiety in a semi-comedic manner, breaking the album’s otherwise solemn tone. Bareilles’ distinctive mezzo-soprano vocal delivery, described as uplifting throughout, helps elevate even the darkest subject matter, suggesting the album functions as a form of cathartic sharing rather than unrelenting sadness.
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