Tally Koren, the international singing phenomenon, is back with a sorrowful and lovely rendition of Joni Mitchell’s “Both Sides Now.” Judy Collins first released the song in 1967 as a wistful and mournful soliloquy. The heartbreaking ballad has since become a modern Pop classic.
Joni Mitchell is one of the most well-known classic singer-songwriters who has taken on the world with her heart and a guitar. She’s won numerous awards over her career, including nearly a dozen Grammys, the most recent of which she received in 2022. Her first was for her breakthrough album, ‘Clouds,’ released in 1969. There was a song called “Both Sides Now” on that album. It closed up the second side of the album and has long been a favourite of many, notably Tally Koren, who is worldwide renowned. Tally is paying homage to one of Joni’s best by doing a cover that captures the essence of “Both Sides Now” while also reinventing it.
Joni Mitchell, of course, has long been a folk favourite. That is what you hear when you listen to the original version of “Both Sides Now.” Late-’60s singer-songwriter vitality, peace, and love. Tally Koren has added her own personal touch to it. While Koren’s song has folk elements at its heart, what struck me the most was how theatrical it sounded. If someone ever wanted to build a Broadway musical out of Joni Mitchell’s repertoire, they could use Tally Koren’s version of this song because it seems like it was written for the stage and her voice has that grandiose vibe.
Tally Koren gives an emotionally charged and deeply personal performance. She sings of losing trust in love’s illusions, accompanied by a solitary piano. Orchestral strings and modest backing vocals join the ensemble as the music develops, adding a touch of drama to Tally Koren’s visceral performance. We are completely aware of her suffering. Despite knowing and loving the song for years, her rendition came about practically by accident. She called her co-producer Phil Curran and persuaded him to record the song after performing a duet of it on TikTok.
Tally Koren, an Israeli-born singer-songwriter with three albums under her belt, including 2020’s ‘Covers for Lovers,’ has been creating a reputation for herself for over a decade. She’s won honours since then and released several additional singles, including “The Garden of Love” and “If I Could Write a Love Song.” Check out Tally Koren now on all major music and streaming sites to hear all of these songs, as well as “Both Sides Now.”
Don’t forget to follow her on Instagram as tallykoren
