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There’s no magic pill or straightforward answer to minimise grief. Like it or not, all of us will have to experience grief at some point in our lives. More importantly, grief must be experienced side by side with love. Echoing this thought is Sara Bareilles, who had lost some people dear to her since 2020. From the talented poet-activist Andrea Gibson, a few of her closest friends and collaborators, as well as when sharing about grief and loss on a podcast with Stephen Colbert and Anderson Cooper. In fact, in a separate programme (The Unfolding, presented by The Love and Foundation Pod), in conjunction with World Mental Health Day 2025, she revealed that she had mental health issues during the pandemic. So, other than journalling, sharing with friends and therapy, music was her way out of her issues.

Released in line with her latest album, titled “Good Grief”, in an effort to soften the impact of the heavy, difficult subject, “Still Crying” is one of those songs that expresses pain, hope, grief, and peace, with a certain level of intensity, all through the beautiful, stunning voice that belongs to Sara Bareilles. Yup, that high-pitched, prolonged note is surely Bareilles’ own voice, and nobody else can take that away from her. In fact, there are hints of “She Used to Be Mine” in this new, more profound, impactful release. This end-July 2026 release comes after the introduction of “Home”, a slow folk ballad.

The thought-provoking music video, tied to “Still Crying” will not only tug at your heartstrings, but also leave you with more questions than answers. Maybe Bareilles wanted to leave it at that. Who knows? Whatever it is, I don’t think you’ll be satisfied with watching it just once.

Sara Bareilles co-wrote “Still Crying” with Aaron Dessner, who also provides drums, drum programming, percussion, bass, acoustic and electric guitars, as well as piano to let the song flow effortlessly and make it worth singing to, even in a song about grief and sadness.

The music video can be taken as a reunion with the cast members of “Girls5eva”, a musical comedy television series in which Bareilles had a role as one of the stars or group members. The series first premiered on Peacock and was renewed for a second season on the same subscription-based television service (for streaming). When Peacock announced that they will not move forward with a third season, the streaming giant Netflix took over. However, Netflix later stated that the series will not return for a fourth.

In 2025, the audio version of “Salt, Sour Then Sweet” was released on streaming platforms, including YouTube. Brandi Carlile was featured singing it with Bareilles. This same song, dedicated to the late Andrea Gibson (which was unfinished in poetry form by Gibson, then left to be completed by Bareilles) and used in Gibson’s own AppleTV+ documentary, “Come See Me in the Good Light”, will be included in the album.

The full-length 14-track album, which explores a different, vulnerable side of Sara Bareilles, while maintaining a certain level of optimism and upbeat-ness, will be released end-August 2026.

Sara Bareilles, who has been active in the music industry since the 2000s, will be releasing her seventh album. Her last known album was the 2019 release, “Amidst the Chaos”.

Co-produced by a team, including Bareilles and Dessner, the album was recorded pre-COVID-19 pandemic and during the COVID-19 pandemic, which saw a shift in in-person interactions to meeting and working remotely, due to the severity of the health crisis that had impacted many across the globe.

Bareilles’ own headline tour, which will bear the same name as her album, will take place roughly a fortnight later, as she is set to tour across North America in September and October 2026.