She'll Let Herself Out by Maia Sharp

Album: Reckless Thoughts (2023)

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Songfacts®:

Maia Sharp's ninth studio album, Reckless Thoughts, opens with the story of a woman who stops making excuses for staying in a bad relationship and gives herself permission to let herself out. But the song is less about the situation and more about what she learns about herself.

"It isn't literally about she's gonna let herself out of a situation or relationship," the alt-country singer noted. "It's that she doesn't need anybody's approval - she already knows she's valid, and she's got this."
The idea started with the title phrase, but Sharp needed help fleshing out the song and creating a relatable main character so she turned to Nashville songwriter Dean Fields.

"I was walking around mulling over the line 'she'll let herself out' for a long time before I brought it into a co-write with Dean Fields," Sharp told Songfacts in a track-by-track interview.

"I knew he could help me make sure we got the most out of the two angles: the conversational and the revelational. We wanted it to have a calm, knowing swagger and for every line to work with either side of the meaning. Once it got to where I like her, I'm rooting for her and I can relate to her, I knew we had something."
After Sharp let herself out of a long relationship, she moved from Los Angeles to Nashville and poured her emotions about the breakup into the 2021 album, Mercy Rising. Her ninth album covers some of the same territory with a fresh outlook that only time and distance can provide.

"This album took some searching," Sharp explained ahead of the album's release. "It was more of a challenge, because I'm not in the middle of a dramatic emotional mess anymore."
Sharp and Fields also wrote the album's first single, "Kind," along with Mindy Smith.
Her second Nashville album, Reckless Thoughts was largely recorded at Resistor Studio, whose owner/engineer, Joshua Grange, provided electric guitar, lap steel, and other musical touches on the tracks.

Comments: 1

Jamie from TnSuch an eye opening song. I know that the world sees instances, such as described in the song She’ll let herself out, by Maia Sharp as a one-sided view. A story about an oppressed girl who’s been locked in from the inside, who had the power to let herself out, all along. However, that world view doesn’t only apply to women. Men have, also been the victims of emotional and mental and even physical abuse, but have rarely gone outside to seek help or had the guts to walk away, because of stupid male ego, or limited, or no choices. Abuse is abuse, no matter who the perp or victim. It all feels the same for the ones being abused. This song certainly hit home for me and I would hope that it hits home for more men out there who are sick and tired of being made to feel less than a man! I think the norm is an assumption that only women need to be understood, supported and encouraged. This applies to men, as well. The old saying is behind every successful man is a good woman… Just ask his mom.

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