The Anglo-Venezuelan singer-songwriter and versatile artist Sofia Kirwan-Baez releases a heavily reflective and pensive single entitled "Guess Who."
Spending most of her early years in France, Sofia Kirwan-Baez draws an eclectic array of inspirations through acts like Ella Fitzgerald, Eva Cassidy, Billy Joey, Mercedes Sosa, Mozart, and Lady Gaga. Also deeply immersed in the world of opera, Sofia Kirwan-Baez will be starting Opera School at the Royal College of Music as an RCM Scholar in September 2021.
Highlighting her single, "Guess Who," off of her recent album, 'Take One and a Half,' Sofia Kirwan-Baez explores lyrical themes of relationship confusion and losing yourself in someone's mysterious ways. Accompanied by a beautiful piano arrangement, Sofia Kirwan-Baez offers a brilliant performance that gives listeners a closer look at her creative ways.
"Guess Who" opens with a serene piano melody that lifts the song into passion from the jump. As Sofia Kirwan-Baez begins singing of a timid man who she can't seem to shake from her mind, she delivers an intensely passionate and soulful atmosphere through her poetic words and powerful performance.
Moving through the piece, Sofia Kirwan-Baez offers highly a dynamic performance, especially as she emphasizes her passion and soul around the hook and exclaims the overwhelming love that met her unprepared mind. As we drift to the song's end, Sofia Kirwan-Baez leaves us in awe of her spirited stylings and the song's sonic desire, fueling our hearts with passion through each organic piano melody.
Find Sofia Kirwan-Baez's latest hit, "Guess Who," off of her recent album 'Take One and a Half," available on all streaming platforms.
We adore the soul you've delivered within your latest single, "Guess Who." Were you inspired by anyone/anything in particular when creating this piece?
Thank you! Yes - this song was written towards the start of my songwriting days (I was 15!), and I was describing my first love. I think it’s mainly a reflection of how (especially with a first love) you love someone for every bit of what they are, rather than for a specific trait, hence why it feels like a stream of descriptives. Every element is yet another reason for loving them.
What did you want to get across to listeners through your lyricism within "Guess Who"? What did you want them to feel?
I guess I answered in part to this in (1), but in answer to what I want my listeners to feel, I want whoever is listening to think about what the little things are that characterize the people they love. It’s also a reminder of how disarming it can be, and at its core quite illogical.
Throughout your album 'Take One and a Half,' are you solely accompanied by the organic piano? Similar to the acoustic tones of "Guess Who"?
The rest of the album is indeed piano and voice, as I wanted to transmit the intimate setting in which the songs were conceived, as well as how human they are. Accompanying oneself at the piano is, for me, one of the most personal forms of expression. Secondly, I often perform in this format – I often perform in piano bars and lounges where I take requests and arrange songs for piano and voice – so it’s a shout-out to that side of my performing career.
How does "Guess Who" fit into the concept or theme of your album 'Take One and a Half'? Is there a running theme throughout the project?
“Guess who” is crucial to this album insofar that it was the first song written in the album, and therefore reflects the source of my songwriting: capturing spontaneous emotion in its most honest form. All the other songs are similar insights into moments when transitioning from teenage years to adulthood, and all the emotional layers that go with that. Any strong moment of heartbreak, or intense feeling of love, or even just an infatuation with storytelling (as in the track Man and the ocean) can be found in this album. I admit that when I released it I felt like I was letting everyone read a personal diary!
What's next?
In answer to what’s next, I have some exciting collaborations planned for producing/orchestrating the songs. I have already orchestrated a number of them and, hopefully when the pandemic ends, will have an opportunity to record/perform them live with an even richer palette of textures (added bass, drums, pads, etc.). As I recorded them last September, I opted for the more “one-woman show” vibe... that being said, if there are any producers out there with specific ideas that spring to mind when hearing my songs, they should get in touch! I am also going to be recording music videos for a few of them, so keep an eye out on my YouTube channel. It is worth saying though, I compose songs sufficiently frequently that I have a fair number of songs yet to be released, so I will be working on another album over the next year as well. Lots to do whilst starting the opera course at the Royal College of Music (London) in September!