Country-pop singer and songwriter Carly Pearce does an excellent job with every piece she creates. There is strong emotion held within each piece, and her dazzling voice sets the stage. Pearce never disappoints when it comes to new releases—she always lets her light and beautiful voice shine to fans all over the world. 

Pearce has always managed to make heartfelt songs that hold soft melodies. The tunes that have up-beat tempos are enjoyable to listen to and hold positive messages. I have always been an admirer of Pearce, and I love how well she communicates her feelings through her songs. With that being said, every piece in her new album, 29, was very strong and well written.

The first track on 29, “Next Girl,” sets the mood with high intensity that is hard to ignore. This song holds nothing but confidence and certainty. Throughout the song, Pearce vocalizes about a man that knows the ways of love a little too well, and she attempts to send a warning to his future girl. Pearce implies that she was once in the same place as this anonymous girl by saying, “Hey, next girl, you don’t know me; I’m just the one he says went crazy on him, that’s just what he does.” This verse does an incredible job of helping the listener predict what will happen next in the song.

Many other lovely pieces Pearce had written in her album were easy-going and serene. “Should’ve Known Better” was not only powerful for her as a songwriter, but also pulled emotions out of me that I didn’t know existed; it was relatable and engaged me immediately. This piece was pure heartache but managed to be my favorite song on the album. 

This tune vocalizes Pearce watching her mom and dad’s relationship. Growing up, Pearce saw the ups and downs her parents went through and blames herself for not seeing the red flags of this anonymous guy she once handed her heart to. She shows this by saying, “I am my mother’s daughter. I watched her with my father. I saw it all, the good and bad should’ve known better than that,” and “I gave you my heart. You let it go to waste. You made me do the leaving, and you made me take the blame.” These two verses are prime examples of how much regret Pearce is holding, along with how much she learned from her mother and father’s relationship growing up. Overall, the tempo was faultless and the lyrics fit perfectly—making it even more breathtaking.

Even though most of the songs in album 29 are slower, “Messy” is another low contemporary piece that caught my attention immediately. This track vocalizes the grief of moving on from a long-term relationship and the difficulty Pearce encounters along the way. Throughout the chorus, Pearce explains that moving away from a relationship that isn’t healthy can be harder than imagined. She shows this by saying, “Moving on is messy. It ain’t always gonna be a clean break, and it’s okay, whatever it takes these days,” and so forth. She also clarifies how moving on too quickly can have its consequences by vocalizing, “Little black dress in the bathroom from last Friday night thought I was ready. It was too soon. God, I wasn’t right. Mascara stains on pillowcases can’t stop my mind from going back to broken places.” 

While these lyrics display how rocky this breakup has been for Pearce, she continues to use the slow tempo which makes for a bitter piece. The lesson that stands behind the beat makes the track extra vigorous. 

I am truly fascinated by the approach Pearce decides to take for her stunning songs. The strong stories and messages that are held behind every piece make the album admirable and a must-listen. Throughout the years, I have watched Pearce make multiple singles and albums that were adequate, but they didn’t manage to sweep me off my feet. 29 illustrated the growth of Pearce’s singing voice and was by far the best album she has released.