I listened to Laura Osnes' new album, so you don't have to
by Chris Peterson, OnStage Blog Founder
Twitter: @onstageblog
Every now and then, I am more than happy to take one for the team. Sometimes it’s paying a bill. When I was a kid, I sometimes took the fall for others. I even blamed myself for staining an expensive rug, when really it was my toddler son.
Today, it was listening to Laura Osnes’ new album, “On the Other Side - Part 1”.
While there are worse ways to spend 17 minutes and 40 seconds, the best I can say about her five-track exercise in self-pity is that it exists. The only highlight of the experience is trying to decipher her confusing lyrics that paint her as some sort of a victim.
To give you some background, the once-hailed Broadway star found herself in a whirl of controversy last year when the New York Post reported that Osnes was fired from a one-night-only concert presentation of Crazy for You over her refusal to be vaccinated for COVID-19. Osnes disputed the reporting that she was “fired” from the concert but confirmed that she refuses to be vaccinated. She is now suing The New York Post for defamation and is seeking $5 million in damages.
Osnes only added fuel to the controversy when she explained her reasoning for not being vaccinated. Her reasoning stemmed from conspiracy theories and unproven medical opinions. Given reports of her supporting controversial policies, this seemed to be the last straw for the Broadway community and her fans.
She has since moved to TN, is occasionally appearing in some circus musical, and recording what technically classifies as albums.
“On the Other Side - Part 1” was released on Oct 5th. It’s important to note that I, nor anyone else I know, knew about it. No one was talking about it on social media. No one published any press releases about it. I only heard about this when Playbill, decided to cover it.
In the press notes, the album’s mission is to "chronicle this past year’s journey of standing up, starting over, building strength, and finding hope on the other side of cancellation."'
"The fallout challenged every aspect of my career, friendships, future, and life,” says Osnes in a statement. “Without Broadway and the community I had known, I was in desperate need of an outlet to process my emotions and somehow create art again. I felt completely silenced, and yet there was something in me that knew my experience needed to be shared. I had something to say, both literally and figuratively, and songwriting became the vehicle for me to find my voice again.”
Sure Jan.
But let’s take a look at the five tracks and sprinkle in some of my thoughts on each one.
“Thick Skin, Soft Heart”
The album kicks off with an anthem dedicated to making a comeback and building a thick skin. The lyrics include, “Even when it seems like the world’s against me, I’ll be marchin’ on with a smile, swimmin’ upstream.” Later, she sings “The things that break me down only refine me, No, they won’t define me.”
This is the first instance where we get a peek into Osnes’ idiotic reasoning that she’s a victim in all of this.
“On the Other Side”
Here, Osnes tries to build sympathy for herself by saying that fame isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. She sings that she’s jealous of the girl who wishes she was her, and warns that the “grass ain’t always greener on the other side.”
I mean, sure. At the same time, there are plenty of aspiring performers who want lead roles on Broadway and aren’t stupid enough to support politics that irreparably harm their coworkers. Just putting that out there.
“Bitter”
“Bitter” is Osnes’ angry song. This is where she comes out swinging. I have no idea who she’s addressing in this song, she’s pissed.
She sings, “I was loyal, thinkin’ you’d be too, to go and turn your back on me, break is off so easiliy.”
Is she mad at her former fans? The Broadway community? If that’s the case, sorry, Laura, you supported nonsense while we watched performers, friends, and family die from the worst pandemic we’ve ever seen.
“Anywhere”
Honestly, this is the best song out of the bunch. It’s also the one I most relate to. Yes, when everything goes to shit, the ones close to you are most important. They can be a source of comfort and can help from having the world collapse on you.
“Great Divide”
This is Osnes’ “I miss you” song. Here, she pines about the hurt of the “breakup”. At one point, she asks, “How did this little thing, create a great divide.”
People like you, Laura. People supporting things as you do, Laura. People who would rather trust conspiracy theories rather than science, Laura. People who also don’t think their positions/actions are wrong or dangerous, Laura.
And that’s it. Thankfully the album is over. Given that it’s a Part 1, means that there might be a Part II. I can’t wait to see how Laura paints herself on that one.
Overall, the best I could say about her songwriting and the music is that it’s perfect for waiting rooms or the music they substitute in reality shows when they can’t get the licensing to Taylor Swift songs(i.e., Dance Moms).
But my biggest problem with Osnes is that she still seems not to understand that her downfall is the result of unforced errors rather than anything else. She can sue over the reports of why she wasn’t a part of a concert, but that doesn’t change the larger issues that surround her. Until she reconciles that, I hope she loves TN, because Broadway won’t be calling for a while.