The song 'Let Go' rips the band-aid off when it comes to emotional healing and letting go of past relationships. We're introduced to this message right away. JOA does not hold back when giving us the meaning of the song. We can clearly comprehend what she's trying to get at when the lyrics say, "When you're gone, are you even going to miss me / One day, I'll look back at you like history / This story is starting to get old / I'm trying to let it go, just trying to let it go." We wrestle with the emotion that JOA gives us within that set of lyrics because it's heavy, but we connect to it in our own personal way. We can further relate and connect deeper when the verse says, "Should have done things differently / It's so clearly right in front of me / Burning down the bridge to build another road / Picking up the flowers from the seeds I sowed / Because time will show if I'm better off alone." As the listener we feel the pain that JOA had to go through because we've found ourselves in similar situations, emotional healing is universal for everyone.
'Let Go' wastes no time getting started. Right away, we're given a rather middle ground of a beat. Not too upbeat and happy, but also not sullen, slow and sad. The song incorporates the perfect amount of pop and folk music. The beat is rather catchy and it stays consistent throughout the whole piece. The artist's voice remains steady the whole song as well. The lyrics match well with the tone of the song. The overarching mood being reflective empowerment. The vocals help tie everything together, they help make the point of the song evident to the listener. All of the elements work together and craft a smooth, simple, yet powerful song.
Twenty-year-old JOA has been honing her musical skills since her early teens. If you're a fan of Phoebe Bridgers or Julia Michaels, you'll want to check out JOA's upcoming EP, which harbors many of the same themes of Bridgers' and Michaels' music. JOA's EP is set to release in early 2025. Tracks on her upcoming EP stem from her deep personal writing regarding topics like romantic relationships, positive self-talk, and the idea of not knowing what you have until it's gone. Regarding her upcoming EP, JOA said, "It's a good little wrapping up of my teen years, and then I can move on and make new music for where I'm at now." Make sure to check out JOA's new song 'Let Go,' and be on the lookout for her EP when it drops.
Written By Destiny Rundquist
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