Austin Gatus and Sophia James have created a soulful anthem that explores the nuances of young love and the bittersweet beauty of distance between two people. Their new single, “Don’t Want This to Change,” is a silky-smooth love ballad that combines indie-pop with jazzy overtones. It’s a fitting symphony for anyone sliding into the slow waltz of a long-distance relationship.
Those two would be Gatus, an emotive SoCal indie-pop singer and saxophonist, and Sophia James, an American Idol top-11 contestant in that show’s 2009 season as Sophia Wackerman. Together, they make for a musical chemistry that’s both intimate and widescreen. With a jazzy guitar and smooth keys, the track is timeless and almost cinematic, and their throwback strings and horns are a perfect fit for their lush, emotive vocal style.
The song is a reflection of love in its most fragile form, love in the early stages of a romance when every conversation seems like a delicious revelation and every moment away feels like lust-inducing agony. Gatus and James’ harmonies evoke the magnetic energy of a new relationship, during which each word exchanged can feel like a promise of something lasting. But as the lyrics unspool, it’s evident that the song also touches on the difficulty of being distant physically. It isn’t just the new high of connection but a growing understanding that love also needs patience, trust, and compromise when distance gets involved.
“Don’t Want This to Change” is an introspective song about Gatus’s time in a long-distance relationship that lasted over a decade. His smooth solos fit perfectly with James’ hauntingly sultry vocals, keeping you intrigued. It’s a song about the morning asser ties of love and the will it takes to keep that love around.
Follow Austin Gastus on Spotify
Follow Sophia James on Spotify
