What's there to say about Jamie Stenzel, known as Au/Ra, that her incredible voice doesn't take care of on its own? Her recent single "Outsiders" is the third release of hers int he past year and I was immediately worried to hear that it was just the acoustic version of an original track that had been released back in October 2017. My fright and worrying came from the fact that when I usually fall in love with a stripped down version of a song, I tend to get very anxious as to what it might sound like with the added production. Everything in this acoustic version highlights Stenzels masterful ability to lift and carry notes across a range of beautiful vocal tones. It's gentle, intimate and all the time earnest in the emotions she delivers through each note. But the original version is just as amazing in its own right as well. The original version of "Outsiders" explores a darker poppier sound, which, in my opinion, her vocals are perfect for. Either way, this version has stuck with me and is a true showcase of the limitless potential this young 15-year-old singer from Ibiza holds. Take a listen below:
In an interview with Refinery29, Stenzel shared, "Outsiders' was kind of about me accepting that I'm a bit of a weirdo. So, I just wanted to make a song that other people could relate to. It was representative of more of a unifying thing and not a lonely thing. Because usually being an outsider is perceived as being lonely. But, if you're a group of outsiders, then it's not so lonely!"
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