Consider You Mean the World to Me as the definitive introduction to Freya Ridings before the entire world takes notice. Five ballads—all originally released between 2017 and 2019—chronicle the rising British singer-songwriter’s love-struck missteps with elegant sophistication. She vacillates between longing and regret on the title track—making its debut in studio form after she previewed it live for the Motown Gospel project 1 Mic 1 Take—armed with a piano in a major key and a soft mid-tempo beat. “Wishbone” places Ridings’s earnest vocal performance at the forefront. A bare piano is her safe space in “Lost Without You” and “Blackout”, both of which illustrate her hurt behind a spare, understated production—just make sure to have a fine wine and a box of tissues close by.
- Apple Music
- Birdy & RHODES
- Dermot Kennedy
- James Bay
- Dean Lewis