Cheryl Craigie just did something special with “I’m Only Me When I’m With You.” She took a high-energy Taylor Swift classic and turned it into a heartfelt, slow-burning ballad. That’s a bold move, and she pulls it off beautifully. From the very first notes, the gentle piano and swelling strings wrap around you like a warm embrace, setting the stage for a version of the song that feels profound and mature.
Her voice? Stunning. It’s delicate and high yet powerful, floating effortlessly over the arrangement with sincerity that hits right in the chest. When she sings about looking up at the sky with her loved one, her words don’t just sound pretty, they feel real. And that chorus evokes a lot of emotion. Her voice soars, passion overflowing, and suddenly, this song is a whole new experience.
What’s wild is that I was vibing to the song, appreciating the lyrics, thinking, Wow, these are pretty impressive! And then naturally Taylor Swift came to my mind and I was like, would Ms. Swift ever write something like this? So I was comparing it to her love songs. So I kept working on the review, listening, and reading up on it. And guess what? Mind. Blown.
This is indeed a Taylor Swift song that Cheryl has covered. Where Taylor’s version of “I’m Only Me When I’m With You” was youthful and bursting with energy, Cheryl’s is introspective and full of depth. She has reshaped the feelings into something that sounds like real love and not girlhood infatuation, making the lyrics feel like something a married couple would sing along to.
If this is what this independent singer, songwriter and musician can do with a cover, I can only imagine how powerful her originals must be. Check her out on Spotify.
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Review by: Naomi Joan