"I’m Only Me When I’m With You" By Cheryl Craigie : A Soulful Reimagining

Cheryl Craigie's new cover of Taylor Swift's song "I'm Only Me When I'm With You" is beautiful and has deep-level thoughts. Whereas the original by Taylor Swift is packed into a bright emotion and energetic youthfulness with the charming flavoring of country and pop. Craigie has given it a deep stripping until it becomes a tender ballad exposing the great emotional core of the original song. This single was released on 22nd January, 2025.

Craigie slows the tempo and adds a soft piano line to create different meanings for the song. Where Swift's version shines with friendship and carefree joy, Craigie's reads more as a very personal meditation on love, identity and connection. Her adult, expressive voice enfolds the listener into a world of intimacy and yearning. The added piano accompaniment takes this further because each lyric can resonate with a depth, new found.

This version is a living tribute to Craigie's artistry in reimagining a song in different ways, while holding on to its emotional truth. Rich and emotive, her voice captures the labour of experience that makes the songs sharper and the words fuller. The bare arrangement allows for moments of fragility, as if she's beckoning her audience to a private moment of self-discovery.

This release highlights Craigie's versatility as an artist. The one female singer who can sing in various genres has proved her mettle once again with the ability to change into something very moving in music. Her latest originals, especially the raw and honest "Migraine", open a whole new dimension in her work, and this cover item follows the same course.

For listeners who enjoy emotionally soulful sounds, "I'm Only Me When I'm With You" is a must-listen for fans of Cheryl Craigie. It's a lovely reinterpretation and tribute not only to Taylor Swift's song-writing but also to all Craigie's personal experience and artistry.