Aly and AJ’s new single, “What It Feels Like,” combines them. With a rough-hewn, contemplative sound and lyrics that go straight to the bone, the sister pair serves up an anthem for welcoming change, be it aging, motherhood, or just learning to let go.
“What It Feels Like” surrounds you from the first notes with a dreamlike but heavy soundscape, recorded in Topanga Canyon, CA, during a very transformative time for the duo. Aly, onscreen and off, went into labor with her son Jack during the finalization of “What It Feels Like,” giving a real-life tinge of poetry to an already intimate song. That energy comes through, and you can hear it in the warm, earthy guitar tones, the soft hum of the piano, and the ethereal harmonies that make “What It Feels Like” feel intimate and expansive.
“What It Feels Like” is a meditation on self-acceptance. “I want to know what it feels like To let beauty fade. Well, that’s OK. I’m not afraid,” they sing, their voices intermingled as only sisters’ voices are. But the song’s fearlessness is in its honesty, in its celebration of the truth of life’s transitions, not mourning them.
Produced by Grammy-nominated Jonathan Wilson, “What It Feels Like” shows the duo’s rock roots, which show that Aly and AJ’s signature sound is timeless and ever-changing. Whether you’re experiencing a turning point or just need a song with the warmth of a hug, “What It Feels Like” is the kind of track that lingers.