Sara Bareilles has released “Good Grief,” her first studio album in seven years, which deals primarily with loss and death. The album was prompted by the death of her decades-long best friend Chad Joseph.
The album opens with “Home,” which references a conversation between Stephen Colbert and Anderson Cooper about grief. The second track, “Just Kids,” directly addresses her late best friend and former tour manager, with lyrics including “You never got to get married and I hate where you’re buried.” The third track, “Still Crying,” co-produced by Aaron Dessner, is arranged as a waltz-tempo piece rather than a somber ballad.
Beyond grief-focused material, the album includes “Ladies in Line,” which addresses Bareilles’ documented struggles with IVF. Two additional tracks touch on sociopolitical themes: “Hands Off My Body” and “Heartland,” a patriotic ballad sung partly from the perspective of the Statue of Liberty. “Say Leave” is a breakup ballad, while “Nervous Breakdown” is a jazz shuffle exploring anxiety.
Bareilles’ mezzo-soprano vocal style brings an uplifting quality to the album’s heavy subject matter, balancing celebration with mourning throughout the record.
See Sara Bareilles live
Upcoming Sara Bareilles events with tickets available:
- Sep 9, 2026 — MGM Music Hall at Fenway Park, Boston, Massachusetts · Get tickets
- Sep 10, 2026 — MGM Music Hall at Fenway Park, Boston, Massachusetts · Get tickets
- Sep 12, 2026 — The Anthem – D.C., Washington, District Of Columbia · Get tickets
- Sep 13, 2026 — The Anthem – D.C., Washington, District Of Columbia · Get tickets
- Sep 18, 2026 — Radio City Music Hall, New York, New York · Get tickets
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Source: Variety Music
