Constantly leaving listeners in awe of her musical and lyrical prowess, the singer-songwriter, pop/r&b artist, multi-instrumentalist, and producer Victoria Barral leaves us in a freight train of thought with her recent single, "Settle."
If there's anything Victoria Barral has learned throughout her 14-year musical journey, it's to trust God and always persevere. Currently finishing up her senior year at Berklee College of Music studying Professional Music with Concentrations in Songwriting and Composition, Victoria Barral is also working on her debut studio album while writing about meaningful, real-world, and societal problems.
Now releasing her recent emotional and relatable single, "Settle," Victoria Barral offers a sound message that expands on why people choose to settle in unhealthy relationships instead of seeking the one God has created for them. "I can't stress it enough: do not settle for just anyone. Wait for the person God has for you. I have been single my whole life, and while sometimes I feel left out, I know in the future, I will be glad I waited," states Barral.
Hitting play on "Settle," the song gently opens with Diego Cortez's smooth acoustic guitar melodies, accompanied by Eli Schildkraut's soothing piano and Adam Saah's downtempo drum breaks. As Victoria Barral makes her angelic vocal appearance, she wastes no time jumping into the song's theme that encourages listeners to avoid settling when it comes to love and happiness.
Not to mention Kari Estes's calming bassline, the entire instrumental deeply complements Victoria Barral's sound lyrical message, truly fueling the atmosphere with nothing but honesty, motivation, and passion. We're head over heels for such a compelling single like this, as Victoria Barral has perfectly crafted this song to move mountains in the listener's mind.
Allow Victoria Barral to remind you not to "Settle," with her recent smooth and honest single, now available on all digital streaming platforms.
Listen to "Settle," here.
Welcome to BuzzMusic, Victoria Barral. We genuinely appreciate the honest and relatable theme you've placed into your single, "Settle." What compelled you to create such a moving piece like this?
The inspiration for ‘Settle’ came from my life experiences throughout high school and college. It also came from watching romantic films when people would break up because they were unhealthy for each other. Coming from my experience, I’ve seen so many of my friends and random strangers settle in toxic relationships. I was always watching from the sidelines, and my heart broke for some people because they obsess over their significant other they would be manipulated and controlled. I was always the third wheel and all my life I have been single. While it is lonely sometimes, it is a blessing. I’m glad to know that I won’t be lowering my standards for a boy that would just end up taking advantage of me. I’m simply waiting for the right man, and I’m not focused on finding a relationship right now. I feel blessed in this chapter of my life. Settle is about a young woman settling for less because she feels like she won’t find anyone else. Throughout the song, she is questioning a lot of things and realizing that the guy she is with is not for her. My co-writer Audrey Bussanich really resonated with this concept - that so many people will just rush and date anyone because they feel like they need love. We challenged ourselves and wrote this song in the third person, and it’s almost like we’re looking after this character in the story because this could be someone's life. The most compelling lines we wrote for this song are “Why do people settle just to fill a void.” And “She thought that he could be the one to make her happy when she felt unworthy of her favorite dream. Forgot about the God who promised real love and healing. People think they will only find happiness if they have a boyfriend or girlfriend, or if they have a spouse, but the fact is that as humans, we are never satisfied. A person can’t fix you, only God can. So throughout this song, the character in the song is having these realizations: “Why did I waste my time with this guy who isn’t for me?” “Why do people settle?” This song is very deep and unique. You see so many breakup songs and love songs, today but there aren’t a lot of songs dedicated to single men and women out there. This song is both convincing and reflective, and we hope that this message will be effective to our audience as independent artists.
What was your collaborative experience like with the session musicians featured in your single, "Settle?" Might you work with the same musicians again in the future?
The collaborative experience with session musicians was amazing. Initially, Audrey and I wrote the song over zoom back in September of 2020, and we got the song finished and revised within a few weeks. The first thing I got for the song was the hook, and I sent her the voice memo. From there, we made a few sessions in Logic for a rough demo. For a few months, we thought that the home recording was good, but then we decided to take the production to the next level. I contacted the head of the Audio Engineering Society at Berklee, Connor Wang, who is an amazing engineer. He listened to the song and it was right up his alley. He was so excited about it and found amazing players for the track. Kari Estes is on bass, Eli Schildkraut is on keys, Adam Saah is on drums, and Diego Cortez is on guitar. Connor scheduled a recording session at Berklee and the session went so well. Everyone did amazing and matched the original demo so well. Not being there with them was a little challenging, but we made it work virtually. A few weeks later, I sent Connor all my vocals, and the rest is history. He did a phenomenal job mixing each instrument and got the best sound of my voice. A few months later I contacted my friend Josh Sebek to master the song. Josh has an awesome skill for mastering and the master recording was beyond my expectations. Overall, the recording process, mixing process, and mastering process took a long time but it was so worth it, and I’m so happy I invested in this collaborative project. I think I would definitely work with these musicians again. Everyone is so talented, and if it wasn’t for them, this project wouldn’t be at its highest potential.
Seeing that you aim to glorify God within your music, how does "Settle" do so? Would you say that your Christian upbringing influenced you to create this single?
I would say my Christian upbringing definitely influenced me to create this song. I have a strong relationship with the Lord and know that the Lord is always protecting us. My parents are amazing, and always encourage me to be myself and not worry about what other people are doing. As a believer, it’s really important for me to have faith and wait joyfully. My ‘season of singleness” as they say has been pretty hard, sometimes I feel left out when everyone is dating, getting engaged, and getting married, but then I remember God loves me and loves other single people out there so much that he is preparing the person He has for you. I believe that you can’t be unequally yoked with someone, meaning it’s dangerous to get in a relationship with someone that doesn’t know the Lord. God designed men and women to be equally yoked and that’s a beautiful thing. I don’t want to preach to anyone, but usually, God allows my songs to preach. Music is more effective than saying it. Settle glorifies God because I am telling God, “God, I will wait patiently, and not get in a relationship just because everyone else is. It’s telling God I’m focusing on Him and I don’t want to be desperate.
We've heard that you're working on your debut studio album. Do you have a release date yet? Should we expect to hear more songs like "Settle" on the project?
Yes, I am working on my debut studio album. I currently don’t have a release date, but I know that the other songs I have in the works are definitely versatile and not just one genre. I love the alternative pop, R&B, and pop genres. They speak to me the most, but I think you can possibly hear songs like ‘Settle’ in the future.
What is your mission statement as an artist?
My mission statement as an artist is to spread hope and love through my music. In a world and music industry, where hope is lacking, and music is getting more depressing, I want to break barriers and spread light. My vision as an artist is to be a good influence to Gen. Z. To soften hard hearts for this generation. My music will deal with universal themes, real-world, and societal issues. I don't write about meaningless, narcissistic songs that have to do with drugs, sex, or anything else the music industry has artists write about today. The most important thing is to stay true to me, and honor God. I hope that people will be touched by my music, and more importantly, I hope my music will lead people to Jesus.