Fresh off the 94 from her home state Minnesota and into the full-barrel honkey-tonks of Nashville, Tennessee comes 19-year old Sydney Hansen. Her latest single, “For Better” kicks off with southern charm still glistening from the polish that Nashville is not just known for but renowned and admired the world over.
Without hesitation you’re transported into the Ryman auditorium where we have no doubts Hansen will be standing center stage in the not too distant future. Musically this track hits all the right buttons and wouldn’t sound out of place on a compilation that featured powerhouses like Carrie Underwood or Kelsea Ballerini; in fact we’d recommend it heavily to anyone who has ever caught themselves belting along to Underwood’s snarky “Before He Cheats” or even Pistol Annie’s empowering “Hell on Heels”.
Vocally there’s a seductive quality to Hansen’s voice, but just bubbling below the surface of it is a kind of grit and contention that suggest she’s not here just to deliver pleasantries; it’s a persuasion exuding in confidence that is eager to show itself to the world, but notably still maturing, finding its footing and determining the best way around the saddle – so to speak.
While “For Better” tiptoes the line of your standard bitter breakup song, it chooses to avoid the typical cliches brought on and often retold in this corner of dimly lit saloons and focuses instead on a more positive reflection of the experience. Noting in the post-heartbreak verse, “In a matter of time I discovered there’s still a few good guys left in this town, Momma says he’s a keeper, That boy’s makin’ me a believer”, Hansen propels the notion encouraged in the track’s chorus where she embraces that the right person is still out in the world and she’s not going to let one bad relationship spoil her outlook on love.
As she repeats in the chorus, “But he didn’t break my heart for good, He only broke my heart for better” we’re reminded that sometimes you need to feel a little heartbreak to realize the potential of what’s – or who – is waiting for you and it’s these wise words from one of country music’s youngest newcomers that fills our own bitter hearts with hope for the future.
Keep up with Sydney Hansen on their social media channels.
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