Sunny Sweeney - Staying's Worse Than Leaving

By: Matt Bjorke

Last Updated: April 11, 2011 2:04 PM

With “From A Table Away,” Sunny Sweeney did the seemingly impossible in becoming the first new solo female artist to score a Top 10 hit with her official debut single since Taylor Swift. She also became one of six female solo artists to score a Top 10 hit in 2011 (joining Swift, Reba, Carrie Underwood, Miranda Lambert and Sara Evans). In fact, in recent years it has been hard for even four female solo artsits to score with radio but with the tide turning torwards female vocalists (and acts like Sugarland and the JaneDear girls that are fronted by female vocalists), the timing is right for an artist like Sunny Sweeney to make an impact.

With a voice that recalls Natalie Maines of the Dixie Chicks, Sunny Sweeney takes a melodically tasty and moody ballad in “Staying’s Worse Than Leaving” and spins a yarn of a story about a couple that tried as hard as possible to stick together and as the narrator, Sunny realizes that staying together is doing nothing but hurting both her and the man she’s trying to let go of, saying:

“It’s gotta get better, it can’t get worse.

Hope it’s a blessing, not a curse.

I don’t care who passes judgement on my reasons

Staying’s worse than leaving”

With to the point lyrics about a topic that that is well-worn, Sunny Sweeney makes it work with an able and rustic production from Brett Beavers backing up the talented vocalist who seems well on her way to becoming one of the Top solo female artists in country music. I have little doubt that this tune will do at least as well as “From A Table Away” and that’s a good thing as country could use a few more neo-traditionalist female vocalists like Sunny Sweeney.