Alyssa Garcia should probably be a Disney star. “Better Life” belongs on the Frozen soundtrack, but it turns out that it was in the 2017 movie, Getting Grace.

This is one of several of her songs that take direct aim at the feels and deliver goosebumps. Listen to her music while we discuss why she’s able to deliver like she does.

Heartbreak is often overwritten. As discussed with Barney Cortez in our Shootin’ Series, it’s common for a young songwriter to gravitate towards stories of depth, even if it’s only a few inches below the surface—a green artist digging through the dirt to find the root and expose it.

In doing so, many of these songs sound… well, borrowed would be a good word for it.

It’s a process. It’s a time for songwriters and creatives in general to find their voice in the early stages, often by impersonating others, if only subconsciously, and because they are spilling their guts through the voice of another, it often feels forced. 

Alyssa Garcia sings about all that and more and none of her songs feel forced.

I don’t know who or what hurt her, but she put her heart on her sleeve in a beautiful way with this well-produced, emotional, and orchestral ballad about self-improvement and self-love.

This played for me on a run, but if I was high and alone, I probably would have gotten teary-eyed. Teary-eyed like a straight-up gangster, but teary-eyed nonetheless. This song could make a nail eater sob in a bowl of Fruit Loops. Again, I don’t know Alyssa nor the heartbreak she’s endured, but with this one, she found a way to rip the soul right out of her heart and inject it into our bones.

Perhaps the most impressive thing about “Better Life” is the fact that it’s her first song out the gate, her introduction. Released in 2015, you can hear the growth in her music from that single to her 2020 single, “Running.”  A more jazz-centric tune in which she takes the bass line for a walk in the park.

I think one of the best things you can say about an artist’s work is that they don’t put out bad work, or they very rarely do—shitty songs, paintings, portraits, skits, whatever—it’s rare they miss. And even the best of the best miss, so it’s nothing to be upset about.

Now, Alyssa Garcia has a much shorter discography than the greats, but she’s yet to put out even a stanza of subpar music. It will probably happen eventually but she clearly understands quality.

Different, unique, experimental, sure. But still high quality and far from lazy.

This lady has some shit to say, folks, and she’s gonna git’ it out in a genuine, real way on a quality track, making it easy for you to buy into a Philly songbird that’s ready to be reckoned with.

Get familiar with Alyssa Garcia, folks.

She’s the real deal.

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