I love acoustic music. Done well, a stripped-back treatment can really highlight the lyrics and get to the heart of the song. That’s exactly what’s happened with Ariela Jacobs’ new acoustic version of her single “Missing You.”
I really enjoyed the original version, but this one hits just a little bit different. The modern beats and synths are gone, replaces with a simple piano. This leaves her vocals and lyrics more exposed, which really suits this song about loss.
“’Missing You’ could be perceived as a universal love song of regret and yearning. However, this was written on an impulse of craving past versions of self,” Ariela explained. “Living with anxiety the past few years, I needed to externalise what I was thinking and feeling. I was kind of saying, ‘Old self, are you in there – where are you? Please come out now, it’s OK.’
“After releasing [acoustic track] ‘Morning,’ it felt so therapeutic to release something so raw. I wanted to take the essence of ‘Missing You’ and record it again in its original form. There’s something very sacred about keeping a song in its initial birthing/developmental period.”
If you love the music of Birdy, Jewel, and Norah Jones, this will be right up your alley. Take a listen, then look for the original version of “Missing You” on your favourite streaming platform to see how they compare. The acoustic version has a special spot in my heart, but I’d love to know what you think.