“Right Beside You (Acoustic)” - Sophie B. Hawkins
Photo Credit: Artist EPK
“Right Beside You (Acoustic)” is Sophie B. Hawkins doing what only the greats can do: taking a song that was already iconic and reimagining it with such honesty and intimacy that it feels brand new. Three decades after Whaler first crashed into the world with its bold mix of vulnerability and pop bravado, Hawkins has returned to one of its crown jewels—not with nostalgia, but with reinvention.
The original “Right Beside You” was all motion: a rush of pulsing beats, windswept visuals, and Hawkins galloping across the Sag Harbor shore on horseback in the now-classic video. It was 1994, and Hawkins was already rewriting the rules for female singer-songwriters in pop. This new acoustic version, though, dials the song back to its skeleton, exposing the marrow of longing, devotion, and fragility that was always there beneath the club-ready polish. It’s stripped, raw, and utterly human.
Hawkins’ voice is the centerpiece here—untouched, unfiltered, and still carrying that fiery, fearless edge. But where the original soared with urgency, this one sits closer to the chest, pulling you in rather than blasting outward. You can hear the decades lived between then and now, the layers of experience and resilience folded into every note. It’s like sitting in a small room with her, the lyrics hanging in the air like confessions.
And that’s the power of WHALER – RE-EMERGING: it’s not just a 30th anniversary project, it’s Hawkins digging back into the heart of songs that defined a generation, pulling them into the present, and showing us how they still breathe. As she put it herself: “I loved digging into the Whaler songs, from remembering the feelings of writing them at the piano to experiencing them in new ways on stage and raw in front of my audience.” That’s the essence of this acoustic rendition—it feels lived in, cherished, and renewed.
Photo Credit: Artist EPK
Coming off the momentum of her 2023 album Free Myself (which gave us the UK dance hit “Love Yourself”), Hawkins is proving she’s not just looking backward. This re-emergence is part of a continuum—a career spanning platinum singles like “Damn I Wish I Was Your Lover” and “As I Lay Me Down,” stage and screen appearances, and a fearless willingness to put her artistry above trends.
“Right Beside You (Acoustic)” is more than a re-release. It’s a reminder of Hawkins’ staying power, a celebration of a song’s timelessness, and a love letter to fans old and new.
Sophie B. Hawkins has always been fearless, and this stripped-back version is just another proof point: vulnerability is power, and reinvention is its own kind of rebellion.
“Right Beside You (Acoustic)” is available now on all major streaming platforms
UPCOMING CANADA TOUR DATES
October 16 – North Battleford, SK – Dekker Centre for the Performing Arts
October 17 – Camrose, AB – Jeanne & Peter Lougheed Performing Arts Centre
October 18 – Fort Saskatchewan, AB – Dow Centennial Centre – Shell Theatre
October 19 – Prince Albert, SK – E.A. Rawlinson Centre for the Arts
October 21 – Brandon, MB – Western Manitoba Centennial Auditorium
October 22 – Winnipeg, MB – Club Regent Event Centre
October 25 – St. Albert, AB – Arden Theatre
October 26 – Red Deer, AB – Red Deer Memorial Centre
October 27 – Calgary, AB – Bella Concert Hall
October 29 – Vancouver, BC – Vancouver Playhouse
October 30 – Victoria, BC – McPherson Playhouse
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Listen to Sophie B. Hawkins and other similar artists on our Spotify Playlist ‘New Music Spotlight - Folk & Country’
