Ria Mae scored a hit with "Clothes Off," a pop song big enough to get her nominated for Single of the Year at the Junos alongside Drake, Justin Bieber, The Weeknd, Alessia Cara — basically all the biggest Canadian artists she could go against.
So she might be best known for that Classified-produced pop sound, but the Halifax singer/songwriter cut her teeth writing folk songs on her guitar. And it's those roots that she returns to in this exclusive acoustic performance of "Thoughts On Fire" which we're debuting below.
She says she wrote the song (her favourite on her album) on acoustic guitar, so she wanted to give her fans a peek at that version. Recorded with just her drummer at the Great Hall in Toronto while playing around with new approaches to her songs, Ria Mae's new stripped-down rendition showcases her Alanis-specked vocals and vulnerable lyrics about seeing your dreams through to the end despite inward and outward doubts.
"I wrote 'Thoughts on Fire' the day after I got my record deal [with Sony Music]," she tells Chart Attack. "The first half of the song is meant to be a message to people who told me I couldn't reach my goals. And the second half is meant to encourage other people who are working towards theirs."
PREMIERE: Ria Mae strips back to her folk roots on a new version of “Thoughts On Fire” by Richard Trapunski | Chart Attack.
