Callista Clark 'Real To Me: The Way I Am' Album Review

After releasing her debut EP in 2021, Callista Clark became one of country radio's most successful new artists in 2021. Despite being a new, on-the-rise artist, Clark already many accolades already under her belt: she was named the Grand Ole Opry's NextStage Artist in September and she was also the youngest artist ever to be named in CMT’S Next Women of Country Class in 2022. With much anticipation, Clark has just released her debut album, Read To Me The Way I Feel.

First up on the tracklist, is “Change My Mind.” This upbeat and exciting tune is the perfect entryway for the record; it hooks listeners in and reels them closer. The passion Callista Clark emits shines through the opener. Her contagious energy will have you up on your feet, dancing around in no time.

Bringing her Georgia roots to the forefront of her music, Callista Clark proves she is a country singer through and through on her debut LP. One of the standout things about Real To Me The Way I Feel is the number of instruments used and how they are intertwined together. Clarke noticeably uses drums, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, pianos, and so much more to add levity to her original sound. Each song begins with powerful instrumentation, yet no track sounds the same.

Clark touches on confusing emotions in entry nine. "Sad" tells a great story about being over a breakup as soon as it happens. The storytelling is empowering and shows listeners, especially young women, that you don’t have to be upset just because someone tells you that you're supposed to be. She exclaims, "But if I’m supposed to cry / Through the lonely nights / ‘Cause you said goodbye / Well why ain’t I, why ain’t I sad?"

In fact, much of Clark's music sounds like advice to other girls; Clark is able to take the lessons she learns and shares them gracefully and confidently with her listeners. Being just 19 herself, the singer-songwriter is able to connect on a deeper level with younger audiences. The pre-release single, “Brave Girl” is a perfect example of that. She speaks to girls who may be unsure and afraid of stepping out of their comfort zones: “Be brave, girl / Jump in and make your own wave girl / Say what you wanna say, say it like you mean it / You’re gonna be okay even if you don’t believe it."

Photo by Chelsea Thompson

One of the lyrical standouts comes with "Heartbreak Song" which was written by Clark alongside Liz Rose, Chris DeStefano, and Emily Shackelton. The lyrics detail how haunting a breakup can be at a young age; how the devastation can feel like a never-ending cycle that follows you everywhere you turn. The storytelling is moving with an easy-to-understand metaphor: the breakup acts as that one sad song that you can't keep out of your head and you don't seem to mind that it's there. Clark sings, "I feel a heartbreak song coming on / Through the radio one I’ve never known / And it follows me with the memory / Everywhere I go like some kind of joke / I wish I could turn it off / But I turn it up and keep on singing along."

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