After the massive success of breakout song “Love You From a Distance,” newly signed Darkroom/Interscope Records artist Ashley Kutcher is gearing up for the release of her debut EP. New single “If I Could” shows off her heartfelt songwriting chops and a slightly darker sound.
It’s a soft, yet powerful ballad that takes an outsider perspective. Rather than singing about her own battle or broken heart, Kutcher chose to write a song dedicated to the helpless feeling of seeing someone else struggle. Kutcher’s featherlight vocals that are reminiscent of Chelsea Cutler shine in both the softer verses as well as the pleading chorus. Layered on top of piano, she describes the desperation of wanting to take someone’s pain away in the chorus. “If I could / I’d carry you until you’re out the woods / I’d love to see you live the life you should.”
Written together with Gus Ross and Luke Eisner, Kutcher can be immensely proud of the follow-up single. The lyrics are intimate and genuine, but it’s Kutcher’s emotive delivery that truly shape the song into what it is. The moody video perfectly fit the isolated feeling of the track, which sees Kutcher in a bare room, bathed in distorted lights as she performs the song.
It’s clear that at the core, Kutcher is a true singer/songwriter. Speaking of “If I Could,” she said in a press release: “It is a very unique release for me because it was the first song I had ever written about someone else’s battles but as it all came together, I found my own meaning within the lyrics. I think everyone will relate to this song in completely different ways and that’s what’s so beautiful about it.”
With over 20 million streams on Spotify, a massive TikTok following — which is where she first found her fame as singer-songwriter after posting her own demo songs on the platform — and newfound support from Darkroom/Interscope, Kutcher is well on her way of establishing herself as the one to watch in 2021.
