Jess Setterfield has gone straight for the honesty button with ‘Bruised and Burned’. She hits one of country music’s hallmarks with this, her debut single, about a failed relationship that was her own. It is full of sadness in the genre’s own inimitable way, expressed touchingly through such poetic lyrics as “I’m holding onto broken pieces/ wondering why I’m still bleeding” and “I just want to be home/ but the house is ash and broken glass”. You can really feel the desperation in her words and their delivery at holding onto something that has already gone. The sense of hurt is alleviated only by the up-tempo chorus which blends pop production with the more recognisably country introduction. It leads to a sound akin to that of a Kelsea Ballerini or Liv Austen, placing Jess in the realm of candid yet catchy country-pop. ‘Bruised and Burned’ is certainly this. Reflective, emotional; a strong first single.

Originally written for and published on Belles & Gals on 8th September 2021.

Featured Image (C) Jess Setterfield