Sara Bareilles has returned to the music scene with her first studio album in seven years, “Good Grief,” an introspective work reflecting on loss, anxiety, and resilience during a turbulent period in her life. Released late last month, the album offers a candid exploration of grief, balancing plaintive piano ballads with moments of urgency and hope.
Bareilles, 46, spoke about the album during a recent visit to a hotel in Midtown Manhattan, where she described a staycation arranged by her late friend Gavin Creel, a Broadway actor who passed away in 2024. Creel had left explicit instructions for the weekend, paying for the accommodations and other details in a gesture that Bareilles described as “so in his spirit.” Creel’s death, along with the loss of another close friend to cancer, deeply affected her, adding to the emotional challenges Bareilles has faced in recent years.
In addition to mourning her friends, Bareilles has confronted personal struggles including anxiety and infertility. She and her husband, actor Joe Tippett, have undergone multiple rounds of IVF and recently experienced a miscarriage. The emotional complexity of this experience influenced songs like “Ladies in a Line,” written while she waited for a blood draw at a fertility clinic. Bareilles described the process of creating the album as cathartic, yet fraught with vulnerability. A documentary, “Sara Bareilles: Good Grief,” currently in theaters, captures her raw emotions during recording sessions, showing moments of tears and connection with her bandmates.
Bareilles’s career has evolved beyond music; she gained acclaim in theater with the hit musical “Waitress,” for which she wrote the music and lyrics and later took on a starring role. She has also earned accolades for her role in a revival of Stephen Sondheim’s “Into the Woods” and her songwriting for the television series “Girls5Eva,” which garnered her an Emmy nomination in 2024. Her upcoming musical adaptation of Meg Wolitzer’s novel “The Interestings” is slated to premiere early next year at Berkeley Repertory Theatre, with plans for a Broadway run.
The production of “Good Grief” involved close collaboration with producer Aaron Dessner, known for his work with artists like Taylor Swift. Dessner praised Bareilles as a “timeless artist” capable of blending compositional skill with emotional depth. Bareilles, a Grammy winner herself, acknowledged the challenges of remaining relevant in a changing industry but credits her diverse artistic pursuits with sustaining her creative momentum.
Themes of loss and healing permeate the album. The opening track, “Home,” was inspired by a podcast conversation between Anderson Cooper and Stephen Colbert about losing their fathers, highlighting the universal nature of grief. Another standout, “Forever,” reflects on the perspective of the departed, a tribute influenced by Creel’s passing. Bareilles described the transformative impact of grief on her identity, noting that enduring such pain has shaped who she is becoming.
Beyond music, Bareilles has embraced acting and comedic roles, finding unexpected solace in the latter. Her work on “Girls5Eva” helped her navigate a difficult time marked by the COVID-19 pandemic and personal loss. Bareilles has also spoken openly about managing anxiety with medication and values the support of close friends such as Renée Elise Goldsberry, who praised her humility and confidence.
As Bareilles prepares to embark on a tour beginning September 9 in Boston, she remains committed to honesty in her art. “Just telling the truth is really the only thing I’m interested in,” she said. Through “Good Grief,” she invites audiences to share in the complexities of sorrow and healing, transforming personal anguish into a collective experience of empowerment.