It’s a beautiful combination of a single acoustic guitar take, a gorgeous voice, and a need to make sense of unfamiliar surroundings. A simple statement can carry power: this is natural to me.

Maybe it’s a type of survival mode, girl armor, this-is-my-destiny kind of thing, but any way you look at it the vocal delivery is understated and powerful and worth of praise. Not everyone can carry a pop song on the back of an authentic vocal and an acoustic guitar, but Emily James certainly can.

Growing up in New York, Emily James was surrounded by a wide variety of musical influences.