Known for satirical and humorous pop-soul-cabaret songs, Rachel Burns shows a more serious side with her latest single, “Pollyanna’s Lament.” The bittersweet ballad appears on the forthcoming EP, What a Nasty Woman, releasing July 7, 2023, and now available to pre-save. A video starring dancer Katie Breland has been released in conjunction with the single.
The song came to Burns in a dream. “I felt it was my grandmother who whispered the melody and hook to me, and I woke up and went straight to the piano. I placed my hands over the keys, and I felt a presence with me as I played and wrote the song,” she explains. “I saw it as my grandmother’s lament of regret as she was a strong woman who unfortunately stayed in a marriage that was unsupportive, unloving, and neglectful. By the time my daughters woke up in the morning, the song was completed. After watching them take in the lyrics and meaning, I remembered someone once told me that if you speak the truth, you can heal seven generations behind you and seven generations ahead of you. I knew after watching my daughters as I sang them the song that this could be a healing song for so many people going through challenging, toxic, or abusive relationships. And it could also be a warning sign for my daughters to never settle and know when it’s time to leave a relationship that is no longer functional.”
From the hysterical to the heartfelt, What a Nasty Woman encapsulates Burns’ activism, her resilience, and her struggle. The cancer-surviving mother of two has been an outspoken activist both on the streets, where for years she dressed in a Wonder Woman costume protesting the Trump administration, and in her music – using her voice as a beacon of positivity and a vessel for change. After 25 years working in business and playing music on the side, she was ready to let her inner songbird soar, and 2022 saw the release of Burns’ debut EP, Living My Breast Life, a five-track collection that employed a mix of humor and hope to tell her breast cancer story in a unique way.
Blending soul, pop, country, and more, the new EP is at once theatrical and emotionally charged, with deeper meanings embedded in every song. The experience of creating this record also heralds Burns’ emergence as a true bandleader, producer, and artist – owning every aspect of the creative process, from inception to release. It’s “raw, outrageous Rachel” every step of the way, and whether you’re looking to stick it to the man or just sing aloud, What a Nasty Woman is here as a form of therapy, entertainment, laughter, and truth. PRE-SAVE HERE.
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