Photo courtesy of Youtube
Story by Nick Hardin / Contributing Writer
Chelsea Cutler is a 21-year-old singer, songwriter and producer hailing from Westport, Connecticut. Cutler took an interest in creating music at around the age of 17. She began posting covers of songs on YouTube as well as creating and releasing original content while a student-athlete at Amherst College. In 2017, her fanbase really started to see an incline when her original tracks “Your Shirt” and “Sixteen” really began to start racking up streams. As a result of this new found success, Cutler landed a record deal with Sony affiliate Ultra Records.
On June 8, 2018, Cutler released her first album “Sleeping With Roses” on all streaming platforms that included hit tracks such as “The Reason,” and “Hell.” A lot of the album dealt with trials and heartbreak that Cutler was going through. On Oct. 30, 2018, Cutler took to her social media to let fans know that after recording and releasing “Sleeping With Roses,” she felt as though she still had more to say about where she was in her life at the time. With so many things still sitting on her heart, Cutler went right back to work. And on Oct. 30, she announced the upcoming release of her second album, the second installment in the “Sleeping With Roses” era, “Sleeping With Roses II,” would be released on Nov. 9.
This second installment is everything you would expect and more from Cutler. Building off of what made the first album so successful. She is able to tell a story and paint a picture so well. Cutler manages to tell her story in a way that so many people are able to relate to. One thing I love about her is that you can literally feel the pain in her voice. The music means something to her, and her passion is displayed consistently throughout this second installment.
The tracks “AF1’s” and “Cold Showers” were both released as singles over the recent weeks leading up to the album release, and both songs received tremendous praise from fans and rightfully so. Both tracks take the more slow, somber approach that Cutler masters so well. Basically, these are the tracks that make you want to sit in your car and cry about the person that just broke your heart. Both songs are fabulous, but there is just something about “AF1’s” that just really connects with me both musically and sonically. Everything from the production, the lyrics, and her gorgeous vocals just hit the spot on this one. I truly believe this might be her best song ever released. If it is not her best, then it is definitely close.
Songs on the tape like “Evil” and “Mess” take a little bit of a different approach than the two prior tracks mentioned. These two tracks venture more into the side of Cutler where she begins to experiment with more upbeat, electronic type sounds and production. This is not a bad thing by any means as Cutler is so easily able to pull these kinds of tracks off as well, which in short is one of the many things that makes her so special as an artist. You can listen to a song like “AF1’s” and want to cry your eyes out, but then you can turn right around and listen to a song like “Mess” and want to get up and dance.
Cutler simply has such a perfect balance in her music catalog, and when it comes to her abilities, she is always able to bring something fresh to the table. Her voice is angelic and so unique, her production skills are heavily slept on and she makes music that simply makes you feel. Whether it is a feeling of happiness or a feeling of sadness, her music makes you feel. You connect with the music instantly and are drawn into a place of critical thinking and self-belief. What Cutler relays to her fans with “Sleeping With Roses II” is that despite the heartbreaks and downfalls you might face in life, you can overcome those things, you can be strong, and in time things will get better.
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