Christina Grimmie: Side B EP

Thousands of hours are dedicated to creating an album that is unique and beautiful. Between composing emotional and catchy lyrics, utilizing the right instruments and executing harmonies, artists work hard to produce an album that will take the music industry by storm. An artist pours their heart and soul into their work, and sadly, Christina Grimmie has no time left to do this.

While signing autographs after a concert in Orlando, Grimmie’s career came to an abrupt end when a gunman open fired and killed her. While we could dwell on this and question why this brutal act happened, Grimmie left her fans with something better: inspiration. Grimmie’s family preserved her music and officially released four of her songs in the form of Side B – EP.

“I Only Miss You When I Breathe”

“I Only Miss You When I Breathe” immediately captivates listeners with Grimmie’s warm humming and soothing voice. She has always managed to pack unfathomable amounts of passion into her performances, and this song is no different.

Supported with a steady and synthesized rhythm, Grimmie delivers a heartfelt message about missing a loved one constantly. The lyrics “It’s magic how it feels when you fall head over heels/ Leaving you broken/ Leaving you bruised,” reveal Grimmie’s feelings about the true power of love and compassion. She sings about the power of caring for someone, which builds throughout the three minute piece. At the 2:10 mark, Grimmie belts through a high and beautiful series of notes that tug on the heart strings in reminisce of her incredible vocal capabilities.

“Invisible”

“Invisible” is by far the least ordinary track on this EP. It was released earlier this year, and was Grimmie’s first production since her murder in June 2016. While this album is categorized as pop, “Invisible” is more of a dance/electronic single. Of the four songs on this EP, it would probably be my least favorite. It does not spotlight what she is capable of, relying too heavily on technology to deliver the core of the piece’s message.

As for the message itself, Grimmie sings about a need to emerge from a relationship that has caused her to feel nonexistent and unessential. While this piece starts off with a fairly slow tempo, its upbeat chorus packs a strong punch, especially the final one. Her background vocals become increasingly apparent, growing louder into the final thirty seconds, which could signify her conscience. These encouraging voices are urging her to emerge from the shadows and embrace her true self- something that her lover isn’t enabling her to do.

“The Game”

Song three is uplifting and slightly haunting at the same time. The clashing themes in “The Game” include “laugh[ing] and cry[ing] at the same time” in the midst of being in an unstable relationship. Synthesized elements coordinated by background drumming and guitar playing guide the rhythm seamlessly. Around the one minute mark, the tempo begins to increase as Grimmie’s commanding tone drives her through some of the higher notes of the song. The only slowing of background music arrives briefly at the two minute mark, allowing Grimmie to unload her frustration in an enormous high note just a step or two before her vocal break. This third track was honestly perfect.

“I Won’t Give Up (Jason Mraz Cover)”

Concluding the EP is a cover of Jason Mraz‘s “I Won’t Give Up”. While the pacing of this version was a little slow, Grimmie made up for it with high energy and beautiful, breathy pauses, especially between the words in each of verses. This cover is easily the most stripped down of her four songs. Her falsetto is showcased in a magical and lovely manner throughout the first and last verse. Just like a mother trying to calm her crying infant, Grimmie subtly massages listeners’ tensions with her delicate vocals.

Hardly any synthesizer was implemented into this piece. The drums behind her are on a calm and simple beat until the second chorus, and the keys behind her are following a steady rhythm. However, once the second verse begins to transition into another chorus, the keys kick in, and the powerful Grimmie takes over.

Her diction becomes extremely crisp, and her lyrics quickly depart from her lips at a strikingly fast pace. Words “I won’t give up on us/ Even if the skies get rough/ I’ve given you all my love” are powered through with some impassioned growls and a hammering downbeat of the drums. Even though this is not her original, it demonstrates who she was as an artist the most out of any of the four tracks. From start to finish, she displayed every nook and cranny of her vocal capabilities, remastering Mraz’s song to arguably a better version.