Taste Test: Emily James vows to ‘Never Chase a Boy’
The singer-songwriter reworks her 2016 tune into a stunning folk ballad.
Welcome to Taste Test, a song/video review series of SubmitHub-only gemstones
It can hurt to let go even the most unhealthy of relationships. It’s a mark of courage to shed your past and recover your self-worth. “It’s time to listen to your own voice,” prompts New York’s Emily James, who wears her scars as badges of honor. “Never Chase a Boy,” originally released back in 2016, gets a second wind with a fervent, folk-bent acoustic rendering. The guitar weeps behind her as she navigates the burning out of a relationship, one in which she lost the very essence of who she was, and James’ performance displays both imposing restraint and power. “It hurts to look back on all the times he held your hand / You gave him all you had / He took it and ran,” she paints in evocative strokes, unthreading the pain to move on, once and for all. Through the stark lens of recovery, she is able to impart sage wisdom far beyond her years and heal the remaining jagged edges of her own heart. “So afraid of losing him / That you’re losing yourself…”
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