Kira Isabella, ‘Quarterback’ [Listen]
Kira Isabella’s American debut will surely get her noticed. ‘Quarterback’ tells a story not yet told in country music. First-time listeners know where the song is headed after the first verse, but the Canadian star’s words still strike deep.
There’s no quick, one or two-word phrase to describe the problem Isabella tackles, so perhaps it’s best to let the song describe itself.
“He was the quarterback / Smile at her, imagine that / How do you explain the star of the game and the no name girl from the freshman class,” she sings at the chorus.
“She got out at a bonfire party / Never had a drink before / But he held it to her lips and she took her first sip and before she knew it, she had three more.”
Isabella sounds slightly removed from the events that take place. Her performance isn’t drenched in emotion, perhaps allowing listeners to attach their own personal moments to the one she describes. A delicate guitar introduces the song as a soft cello pulls. There’s a Dixie Chicks-feel to the arrangement, a sound that’s missing from American country radio.
The most stunning lines come just before the second chorus. At that point the song becomes a very modern social issue, not just the one haunting vulnerable young women for centuries:
"She always heard that a girls first time / Is a memory she'll never forget / She found out the hard way about love / When she saw those pictures on the internet."
The response to her story will decide the song’s fate. Isabella -- a two-time CCMA winner -- shines a light on a serious problem facing American teens. Even if it’s not a hit ‘Quarterback’ will hit home for girls -- and boys -- in the darkest corners of the country. It's a song that will make difference.
Why Fans Will Love It: Isabella's 'Quarterback' tells a story that has yet to be told in country music. It faces a very real problem head on.
Key Lyrics: "She always heard that a girls first time / Is a memory she'll never forget / She found out the hard way about love / When she saw those pictures on the internet"
Did You Know?: Kira Isabella is one of three Canadians beginning to make a name for themselves. Lindsay Ell and Dallas Smith also come from north of the border.
Listen to Kira Isabella, ‘Quarterback’