Sara Bareilles – Once Upon Another Time (EP)

In 2012, Sara Bareilles wasn't ready to make her fourth full-length album yet, but she had special project she wanted to share with fans in the interim. On May 22, 2012, she released a 5-song EP entitled Once Upon Another Time. Because of the nature of the release, Sara had more creative freedom than she would on a regular album, and this showed in the different approach in the songs. The opening song and title track is slow burning song that begins a cappella save for the sound of a flickering candle. Sara hums the tune, then sings a portrait of her utopian youth. The second track, "Stay," is a more straightforward ballad that served as the only single from Once Upon Another Time. "Lies" is a mesmerizing, sneering announcement that she knows her loved one is lying about his feelings. "Sweet As Whole" is the most explicit and hilarious song Sara has ever released, while the closing track, "Bright Lights And Cityscapes," is a melancholy and heart-wrenching promise that she'd love a man better than his current partner does. The whole EP allowed Sara Bareilles to flex her creative freedom, and it made for an incredible, flawless collection of songs.