- Bryon Harris
Jessica Woodlee - "Burn My Baggage"
Review by Abby Kenna
“Burn My Baggage” by Jessica Woodlee is a fierce, striking pop anthem. Infused with electrifying vocals and dauntless morale, this song lives and breathes courageousness.
“Burn My Baggage” embodies strength within its gloriously rebellious arrangement. The song opens into a sharp rhythmic progression, lingering on a vulnerable piano for brief moments just to snap the attention back to the crisp beat. As the pulse of the song settles in, the pre-chorus introduces a deep sub bass, adding a hint of dark, electronic mystique. An air of tension settles over the track, intertwined with the thrilling swell of the arrangement. Combined with Woodlee’s arresting vocals and poetic lyricism, “Burn My Baggage” embodies captivating, steadfast determination:
“There’s a reason that the hummingbird
can fly so very high
got nothing weighing him down…”
Jessica Woodlee’s compelling voice is the heart of this thrilling pop anthem. Her voice is dynamic and volatile in all senses as she leads the song. Although her belt seems to stretch endlessly and effortlessly, Woodlee doesn’t rely on her upper register to infuse power within her vocals. The verses and pre-choruses occupy a lower range that allows her voice to blossom with intense richness and deliberate depth. She utilizes other aspects of her vocals to create tension, leaning into sharp consonants and sultry slides between notes. Woodlee also employs her masterful songwriting to illustrate the strength within “Burn My Baggage”. Her melodies are the image of pop perfection, immediately getting stuck in your head from the first listen. Even the rhythms of her lyrics are a hook within themselves, their cyclical flow mesmerizing as she sings about letting the past go to continue growing:
“Gotta burn my baggage
Lose myself from strife
Won’t let it damage
No more of my life…”
Though Jessica Woodlee radiates power in every corner of her vocal range, when she soars into the high notes of the chorus, it’s as if the curtains have been thrown back and the light pours in. Her clear, bright tone is gripping, luring listeners further into the magnetic charm of “Burn My Baggage”.
Jessica Woodlee has left a piece of her heart in “Burn My Baggage”, breathing her own strength into the powerful progressions and stirring lyrics for listeners to embrace as their own.
About Jessica's Woodlee
Jessica Woodlee has amassed a reputation as a major talent well beyond her years. Jessica is a singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist possessing a 3-octave range. Jessica filled her life with music from the start – studying and playing guitar since the age of 6 while also taking voice lessons, learning piano, violin and auditioning for Broadway. Driven by her passion for music she then taught herself the ukulele, electric bass, and recently upright bass. At age 18 this powerhouse is just getting started.
Jessica brings a new level of authenticity through her music. Her ability to channel her emotions into her music led to the songs on Jessica’s EP, Karma, released in 2019. “Much of the EP is about feeling pain when I relied on someone who didn’t come through for me. I had to figure out how to be true to myself when it felt like the world was falling apart.”
Riding the wave of her Karma EP Jessica is hard at work writing and producing new music. Her next single, "Burn My Baggage" will be released on 8/21/2021 followed by her next album, DIVINE, in fall 2021. Raw, real, and approachable, Jessica’s music combines the best of Pop, singer-songwriter, Blues, and Jazz to create a sound that’s all her own.
For updates on the recording process and upcoming shows follow Jessica on social media @jessicawoodleemusic
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