Sara Bareilles released her seventh studio album, Good Grief, on August 28 - her first full-length record since 2019's Amidst the Chaos. The 14-track project, produced with Aaron Dessner at Dreamland Recording Studios in Woodstock, New York, is Bareilles' most openly personal work to date.
The Waitress songwriter has said the album grew out of a season marked by loss: the 2020 death of her close friend and former manager, Chad Joseph, and the 2024 death of Broadway actor Gavin Creel, a close friend and former co-star. The track "Forever" was written for Creel, and Bareilles has said she's struggled to perform it live without crying.
"I want this record to feel comforting," Bareilles told CBC ahead of the release, describing her hope that listeners navigating their own grief might find something steadying in the songs.
A companion documentary, also titled Good Grief and directed by Josh Alexander, premiered at Tribeca Festival earlier this year and opens in theaters September 2. Bareilles also hosted a free three-day storytelling and performance series at Lincoln Center this week, and she kicks off her Good Grief Tour this fall, with stops including two nights at Radio City Music Hall on September 18 and 19.
In a review of the documentary, Bareilles reflects on holding onto a spiritual connection with Creel even as she fears the erosion of memory over time - a thread that may resonate with listeners who've turned to faith of their own while grieving someone they loved.
