Jamie Hansen "Word on the Street" Song Review

In the release of her newest song, Jamie Hansen continues to impress with “Word on the Street," a refreshing addition to her quickly growing musical resume. Released May 6, the song is self-described as a “snarky goodbye to a love gone wrong," and packs the punch necessary for all great breakup songs. The energy brought from the melodies — especially from the lyrics — makes this song one of the highlights of Hansen’s career thus far.

The song starts and ends with excitement: an important statement of how moving on after a love that didn’t pan out doesn’t always have to be sad. While the melodies are immediately fun and interesting with an upbeat drum and guitar, it’s the lyricism that makes this song shine. The words border on poetry as they easily capture the feelings of the heartbreak in ways that make audiences resonate with Hansen on a personal level.

“Cat’s out of the bag, you know what they say / You do your best damage then walk away / And word on the street / It’s me you can’t keep.”

When discussing the song, it’s clear that working with writers Jared Rogerson and Nick Sullivan in a creative environment brought this song to life for the Wyoming singer. “Writing this song was so much fun because it was all about the lyrics. I wanted to nail this one, with the perfect balance of a familiar concept combined with a unique twist,” said Hansen in a press release. “With an underlying sadness to the song, 'Word on the Street' is about the character taking back the narrative, which is incredibly powerful.”

“Screaming I love you and doing it now / It’s a Hail Mary, it ain’t a damn vow.”

One of the most compelling elements of Hansen’s songwriting is her storytelling, especially her ability to get in the heads of her characters and tell a story in which both sides are humanized. Although she writes the song from “the perspective of the presumably ‘bad guy’ in the relationship," the genuineness with which she writes her song makes the situation feel visceral and real. It immediately connects her to her audience.

Despite this not being Hansen’s first song of 2022, the skill and talent she brings to her musical career are not just refreshing but also exciting and nuanced.

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