Sara Bareilles - Love Song

Sara Bareilles is one of the first new pop stars of 2008. Just a small snippet of this song played on a TV commercial for Rhapsody and Tivo is enough to catch the attention of music fans looking for a snappy pop tune. The success of "Love Song," almost certainly headed to the pop top 10, will give Bareilles much deserved additional exposure for her album Little Voice released this past summer. Although working in the now crowded field of female piano-playing singer-songwriters, she is a unique voice worthy of attention.

It's no surprise that this song has caught on quickly to soar up the charts with a bit of TV exposure. The recent success of hits such as "Apologize" and "Bubbly" have proven there is a significant portion of the pop music audience hungry for mainstream, catchy songs that tweak emotions but ultimately are not too complex or difficult to decipher. The pounding piano chords of "Love Song" are catchy enough they will have you humming along before you are cognizant of all of the words.

Sara Bareilles is a self-trained piano-playing singer-songwriter who has the gift of describing her experiences with love relationships and life in ways that immediately connect with an audience. This talent is in even greater evidence throughout her album Little Voice, and, if you like "Love Song," I heartily encourage checking out the album. Comparisons will be made with the likes of Fiona Apple and even Norah Jones, but Bareilles has her own appealing, uncluttered sound that will easily pick up new fans.

Much like the success last fall of Feist and her hit "1,2,3,4," TV commercials have given another artist much needed exposure and given us perhaps our first new pop star of 2008. Sara Bareilles may not have intended to write this "Love Song," but pop fans are happy she did.

Released by Epic Records June, 2007.

Reviewed January, 2008.