‘I’d Rather Be With You’ is a distinctly raw and real piece of music and performance that comes soaked in soul and an almost free-style sense of expression. The build up from the delicacy of the opening few moments to the later mass of instrumentation and passion makes for a captivating experience. It takes effective elements from pop, soul, r&b, and merges them with something deeply personal that could potentially stand in its own right as an a-capella declaration of love and a lesson learned.
Kaivia Black’s approach to songwriting and performance is undeniably honest, there’s a truth to both her lyricism and her style of singing, as well as the emotional journey upon which you find yourself as you follow the song along. The artist takes her time to craft the soundscape, to tell the story, and to express her true feelings. The song opens with the hook, the key idea, you pick up on the sentiment fairly quickly, but the emotional level to which it affects and connects with the artist only comes through in full doses as the track progresses.
As is the case with personal truth and experiences, we don’t bare all with words alone, often it’s in the sound of the voice, the notes chosen, the gathering of ideas over time that lead to the ultimate understanding. This is the point at which listeners will start to really relate to the concept in their own way. The emotion you can hear in the voice draws a similar emotion in the audience, so any familiar memories will come to light, and the feeling will be magnified more and more as you listen further. Some of the lyrics later on are incredibly poignant and powerful, and this, along with the increasing passion, hits hard.
By Rebecca Cullen
Rebecca is a Musician and writer from Manchester, UK, with an MA in Song Writing
