JILLIAN CARDARELLI

                                                               "Could've Been Boy" 

                                                                Independent Release

Though singer-songwriter Jillian Cardarelli initially laid the foundation of her path by fusing influences together to incorporate elements of country, blues, and jazz into her overall sound, by now shifting sole focus to her 90’s bent modern country feels, she’s heighted her buzzworthy status to new heights.

“Country Side,” released earlier this year, offered not only the first glimpse at her fresh, country sound, but also saw her planting defining characteristics of who she is as an artist, keeping her incredible vocals at the forefront while wrapping them into memorable lyrics that name checked several country songs attached to the notion that country is an attitude you carry within you and not just a location mark on a map.

She now continues to open this exciting next chapter with “Could’ve Been Boy,” a song she’s described on her socials as being one that will “make you think about someone that used to be in your life.”

The song, written by Jillian with Liz Hengber and Matt Wynn, sees Cardarelli reflecting from a now perspective on what could’ve been, and should’ve been, with the one who got away.

Wrapping the softness of her voice into heartfelt tones, she uses the first verse to endearingly paint pictures of back when it was so good between them, singing of falling for each other at a red-light kiss, drinking cheap wine in front of the glowing TV, and dreaming of a future together with kids and a home. 

This expert use of the paint brush instantly warms the listeners heart as they begin to reminisce on their own lost love as Cardarelli then shifts away from the past and back into the realities of today when the chorus sings of all that’s left of them now:

“What could’ve been boy

The kind of love that they write about in a timeless classic story

The girl gets the guy and they ride away in a blaze of glory

We swung and missed, and now I get

A little in my head thinking ‘bout

What would’ve been boy

If you weren’t a could’ve been boy”

Holding tightly to the idea of being a little in her head, she masterfully uses the second verse to admit that she can’t even remember what was to blame for them splitting up, while confessing in the bridge that she’s done anything but be honest about moving on if she says she has, capturing the raw truth of the emotions that we all feel after a tough breakup. This absolute transparency adds depth to the strong connectibility factor that will make this song resonate with the listener.

As Jillian Cardarelli continues to peel back the layers of her next chapter, she’s intriguingly grabbing attention by smartly keeping her powerful voice in the forefront of very well-crafted lyrics that have become her definition, while allowing the subtlety of the instrumentation to carry the proper feel through the accompaniment so that it enhances the aura of the emotional strikes of her vocal.

(Review Written By: Jeffrey Kurtis/Album Art By: Dusty Barker)