Review: "out with lanterns" - girl on a hill x Sarah Barrios

Tessa Maddaloni
Aug 13
2 min read

girl on a hill Sarah Barrios "out with lanterns" Cover Art

In the journey of life, it can be difficult to find yourself and know who you are meant to be. Sifting through personalities and trying to find the one that feels the most natural is hard, with the whirl of social media, fake friends, relationships, and everything in between. Sarah Barrios, under the artist name ‘girl on a hill’, details this struggle with the new single “out with lanterns”. In this track, Barrios finds comfort in a pen name, allowing herself to be as whimsical and honest as she wants without the added pressure of her true self not matching the persona she displays. This track fits girl on a hill’s usual soundscape, being whimsical and light layered with harmonies and her unique breathy tone.

“Out with lanterns” begins with a simple strummed guitar chord and Barrios’ light humming. She sings about feeling lost and unsafe, not able to find herself. She feels like a liar and a sinner being so dishonest, saying she is “tired of solo dancing in the dark”. As we reach the chorus, she realizes that it is okay to not know who she is just yet, and that her time will come. She sings, “Tell them I’m doin fine / That I don't know myself / But that I will in time / Spent too long searchin for someone else's light / But now I / I'm out with lanterns for myself tonight”. She makes a vow that she will find her true self, and her soft voice allows listeners to learn that it is okay not to have everything figured out.

Sarah Barrios is a 31 year old LA based singer-songwriter. She started creating music at the young age of 13, and has since grown immensely in talent and accolades. She also finds herself deep in the BookTok community, posting reviews and suggestions on TikTok. She created the persona of girl on a hill this past year, allowing it to grow into a way for her to show her whimsical side, as the soundscape is much more ethereal and soft than her usual music. She explains that “This project is an evolution that brings Sarah Barrios back to her bookworm roots, towards a bright next chapter”, and explains the change between the two by describing girl on a hill as a separate being, stating that “She finds solace amongst the trees and beneath the stars, weaving tales of love, heartbreak, and the strangeness of life, for those just as lost as she.” Make sure to follow the social medias below to stay tuned for more from both Barrios and girl on a hill.