Sierra Velez came into her own in more ways than one on Growing Pains, a soul, funk and blues-driven single that turns emotional exhaustion into a rite-of-passage reckoning. Now based in Texas after moving from New York, Velez uses her sophomore single to sharpen the aura of an artist learning exactly how much space her voice can claim.
Growing Pains sheds the pain of realising that the most selfless people often end up secondary in a world happy to take from them. Rather than reaching for melodrama, Velez lets the scorn within that relatable scar sit inside a groove-rich arrangement where soul warmth, funk movement and bluesy reflection all feed the same emotional fire.
The old-school touch to her sound sidesteps the corridors of dated trends, giving the track a timeless feel while still letting her presence stay freshly forward-facing. Her voice harmonises with sheer sublimity, carrying an inexpressible and equally irreproducible aura that makes the single feel intimate without shrinking its scale.
Fans of Amy Winehouse, Joss Stone, and Erykah Badu’s self-possessed emotional clarity should hear the appeal instantly.
With such a sense of confidence in her authenticity, it is impossible to resist being drawn into Sierra Velez’s orbit. Growing Pains makes her next move feel well worth watching.
Growing Pains is now available on all major streaming platforms, including Spotify.
Review by Amelia Vandergast
