REVIEW:
SARA – Runaway
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IT is always hard knowing how to start…
writing a review for someone who releases their debut song. In the age of social media, we can get context and some biography in a way we would not necessarily have had until recently. Unless you were an artist as hyped and known as, say, Madonna or The Beatles, chances are that a debut single would normally not being more than the song and a bit of history about that act. Now, in a positive I feel, we can learn more about an artist and their ‘journey’ to that moment – though some prefer to keep cryptic or private. Whether there are TikTok videos, social media posts, demos online or cover versions, we can get that layering and nuance. At a time when modern titans like Taylor Swift are taking up so much media and public time, I often wonder how much of that fame and spotlight detracts from upcoming and new artists trying to establish their name. Streaming services still seemed more geared to established artists rather than those starting out. I would love to see regular playlists that highlight new artists. Maybe a monthly one that compiles debut singles. So that more people can invest in an artist from the ground level upwards. I think that the debut single is both nerve-wracking and exciting. On the one hand, this is your first statement. Maybe the first taste people will have of your music. Each artist has hope and expectation of how their debut single will be received and how many streams/views it will get – whether realistic or not. It is such a capricious industry is music. Those worthy of huge acclaim and investment often straggle and can be overlooked, whereas the bland and generic can be embraced and lionised in a way that is baffling and angering. An original and distinct debut single can create this early momentum and electricity that can be sustained for an entire career. A listener can hear that original song and get heady scents and intoxicating notes. Hard-hitting lyrics and something personal. A great hook or a sublime melody. That unique opportunity for an artist to come out of the gates with something extraordinary and true to them. In a music landscape where there is such competitiveness and a particular sound demanded by the mainstream – I feel TikTok artists and a particular type of Pop is still more favourable than anything else -, it is so hard to navigate. It is almost business-like launching a single: needing to know what the market wants and how exactly you promote it to ensure people see it. I can only imagine how stressful and hard it is for any artist in 2024 to launch themselves into the wider world. To see that song come out and hope that it is heard and liked. This take me to the wonderful SARA.
One might feel that a one-named artist is quite hard to be distinct in a landscape where so many musical alternatives coexist. It is true that an instinct or Google-unfriendly name can be a detriment. I have seen artists called ‘Kate’ launch themselves and, no surprise, they are quite hard to find through Spotify or on a search engine! Bands with a rather mundane or over-used name. In the case of SARA, I think this uppercase forename choice is apt and strong. It is the moniker of German-born Sara Balk. I will come to her debut single in a minute. You can find her on Spotify here. There is a YouTube channel here. One feels will have an official music video attached to it soon. More on that in a minute. You can also find SARA on Instagram. I first discovered her through TikTok. Her bio reads “50% singing 50% figuring out life”. I think that is an identifiable position and mission statement. So many young artists who are on the same page. A little about SARA before I move along. In a music scene where so many young solo artists either look and sound the same or are packaged that way, SARA is refreshing. She is stylish and both extraordinarily captivating and down to earth. Phenomenally cool and beautiful, there is also this reliability and kindness that radiates from her TikTok videos. Fast-talking, excited, passionate, arresting and very honest, this is an artist who lets her fans in. She has a distinct look, vibe, personality, sound and voice. One might think those are prerequisites of any artist: in a modern music scene, they are not as common as one might hope. The genuine excitement that she radiates knowing that Runaway is about to – or now officially is – out in the world is sweet and humbling. She needn’t be nervous or worried: this is a phenomenal first step! I think, as I type, she is based out of London. She has spent time in Germany and New York. I think that SARA is heading back to New York soon. This is a mixed blessing for so many who love her. I yearn to get to New York. To live there one day. Apart from some of my favourite music ever originating from there, my favourite ever film, Frances Ha, is set there. I am homesick for a place I have never visited. I think there is a German word for that – SARA would know! –, though I don’t think that it is as romantic as it should be!
@sara_mxsic This song came out todaaaaay, Runaway is ready to be streamed wohooo! #newmusic #behindthesong ♬ Runaway - sara_mxsic
My point is that the sheer thought of New York makes me pine helplessly and devotedly to somewhere I can see myself living one day. I can understand why SARA would feel comfortable and seen there. If we were to lose her to N.Y.C., then one can forgive that! London is great, though maybe not as full of opportunities and the right people as New York. I will end this review sort of playing fantasy manager. Imaging gigs she could play, what an album might sound like, and how else her career can grow. As we read, I believe this amazing artist is walking the streets of London. She must be very proud that her debut single is out in the world! Runaway is a song that I can see a see a brilliant music video being made for. I sort of imagine something between a Michel Gondry video and something in black-and-white. Maybe set on the streets of London, there are thoughts in my head. It will be exciting seeing what SARA does with a video for Runaway. Such is the instant power and pull of the track, I know that many listeners will have a view of what it will look like. It is a bit hard assessing the sound of an artist on the debut single. They will broaden and release more songs, so one can never hone them to a genre or particular lyrical trajectory. SARA spoke with me about the song. In terms of the lyrics and inspiration, she said this: “The lyrics are inspired by my own journey. I grew up in a small German town where I’ve always felt judged and watched. Everyone knows each other there and word travels fast, so if you don’t comply with the small-town culture’s standards, you’re quickly made fun of or treated as an outcast. I spent my childhood and teenage years supressing so much of myself and holding back what I really wanted to put out in the world because I was surrounded by people who thought they had the right to tell me what I should and shouldn’t be doing. The older I got, the more I felt the need to break free and start a new life somewhere where no one knows me. I ended up doing exactly that and it’s the best decision I’ve ever made. I now see the people that used to be mean to me in school and some of those people seem really unhappy with the life they’re living now just because they’ve built it according to other people’s expectations of them. I think a lot of hate is based on jealousy. My theory is that people who try to discourage you from making your dreams come true secretly have the same dreams but they are too scared to take a risk and follow them themselves. So with Runaway, I’m trying to encourage people to go for what they know will make them happy, no matter what others say”.
Who to compare SARA with (as, unfortunately, everyone needs every artist compared to another!). I think there are elements of Billie Eilish and Taylor Swift. Bits of Runaway remind me of classic Paramore. This may sound me comparing SARA with other blonde-haired artists, though I think there is relevance to each name. There is definitely something American-influenced in Runaway. One can feel the rush and multicultural buzz of New York together with elements of the music SARA would have grown up around. I can definitely feel this artist maybe feeling a little trapped or not as satisfied in life as they should be. Going for what they need and have. To me, that relates to the city. New York perhaps. A different landscape. Whether SARA is looking for love, career possibilities or even a different vibe, one gets so many interpretations and possibilities from the song. I like how there is a moment for the song to build and create imagery. An introduction that starts off quite gentle and spacey before a beat gives it a pulse and sense of expectant and imminent rush. So many artists jump straight for the first verse and feel the need to go in with whistles, fireworks and bells. Runaway was written alongside GRAMMY award-winning Chris Sclafani (Ed Sheeran, Halsey, Selena Gomez). He produced the track. You can feel that esteemed C.V. present here. Giving the same love and professional focus to a new artist as to those heavyweights. What strikes me first about Runaway is that there is so much texture and feel. This feeling that the listener needs to close their eyes and picture themselves in the song. With a voice that is rich and soulful, SARA comes to the microphone. She is ready for what life throws her way. Prepared for everything that life “throws on the table”, you get an instant sense of what Runaway’s title might refer to. That sense of change and movement. Both physical and psychological. Getting into a different physical space in order to get into a better headspace. That is how I see it anyway! The chorus, when it comes, is one both charged and catchy. Not as needlessly bombastic and cynical (with an emptiness) as so many Pop songs, this is a natural part of the song. You can feel each line leading to the chorus. When it comes, there is nothing jarring or out of place. Instead, one gets something satisfying and memorable. SARA talks about people maybe not being true to themselves. It is clear that SARA spends a lot of time on the road. Every night she is on the road. Calling each new city her home. Many artists can relate to this. Maybe there is this sense that she is looking for somewhere to settle and feel safe. Perhaps this sense of transition and change is all part of life. Figuring out who she is and where she wants to be.
That title, Runaway, seems to be a tag that others apply to her. Some feel that she is flighty and impulsive. Instead of this ambitious young woman who is going after what she wants, perhaps there is some resistance and conflict. The production allows SARA’s voice to be front and centre. So many songs see the vocal buried. It can be frustrating now hearing what an artist is saying or the composition is too loud. That need for force and volume. Runaway is a modern Pop song, though one that also nods to classics. More reliance on the depth and emotion in the voice and the storytelling aspect. Perhaps a Taylor Swift comparison is not too far-fetched or off the mark. Though I am not sure whether SARA would welcome that comparison and is a fan of her at all! Anyway, there is cleverness to the words. SARA talks about people laughing at those who live someone else’s dreams. So someone might label or pigeon-hole someone. Deride anyone with their own mind. Now, if someone lives a dream and succeeds, those same people get jealous or are shown up. It is an interesting dynamic. So much of this must relate to SARA and what she has encountered. Maybe people doubting her music dreams or what she wants from life. I get that feeling SARA has moved from a small town in Germany because she wanted to go somewhere people do not judge her. The fact she then went to London and is going to New York. Going to places that are bigger and more welcoming. From the smallest town where there is judgement and narrow-minded people to cities where there is much more openness and similar-minded people. This is something that so many people can relate to. A reason why Runaway will resonate and be a success. I know that many of SARA’s fans can hear the words she sings and they will apply to them! A song that is going to give people hope and a sense of understanding and clarity.
You get the feeling that SARA is counting down the days until she is gone. Other people maybe doing the same. This real feeling that she has been doubted by others. Her dreams diminished or seen as ridiculous. It always speaks more about other people and how they have lived their lives. People who have not achieved as much as they want or have led a safer and less interesting life. I do feel that Runaway is the start of a magnificent run from this incredible artist. I am not playing proxy manager or P.R. here, though I do feel that a debut album is not far away. SARA did reveal in the interview with me that more music is coming. She has a plan of where she wants to head and what is coming. Even though there are not gigs in the diary yet, I know there are venues throughout London that would house her. Some spaces where she would definitely be embraced. What strikes me hardest is how assured Runaway sounds! It is a real confident and compelling start to her recording career. It would be interesting if a music video was coming for Runaway. Something a little filmic where we get to see SARA running away or struggling to meet the expectations of others. I think that SARA could also have this successful acting career ahead. She has this aura of someone who could easily transfer to the screen. I know that she will get loads of gigs in New York when she gets there. The remainder of this year is going to be busy for her. If you have not heard Runaway and SARA, then make sure that you check her out. Such a wonderful and loveable artist, I feel that we are going to hear a lot more great things from her. I really love Runaway and what she has achieved here. I have so much respect for her and will be following SARA’s career with great interest. Make sure that you follow and show love for…
THIS remarkable human being.