Sara Kays

Single review by Gabrielle Groves

With her first new single in more than a year, Sara Kays makes her return to the music world after being “ghosted” by her now-former record label. Kays initially went viral in late 2020 with her gentle wistful song, ‘Remember That Night?,’ which would later be added to her 2021 EP Struck By Lightning. Now comes ‘Bench Sitter,’ a relatable song with multiple analogies comparing the disappointing side of team sports to a disillusioning situationship.

A common theme of many of Kays’ songs speak to being left out of things and forgotten about, such as her song, ‘Chosen Last.’ In ‘Bench Sitter,’ the alt-pop singer experiences these emotions once again. She grows feelings for someone she only sees in private, and gets her hopes up thinking that it could turn into something more—until she sees them with someone else, causing her feelings to falter. Kays’ signature vocals work to conceal her heartbreak in the song as she painfully accepts what the relationship actually is. In the chorus, Kays sings, “I’m not an A-team player, I’m second best… I’m just the best bench sitter you’ve ever seen,” and noting in the pre-chorus that the other person will “never call it love,” since they have someone else that they consider “better” than Kays.

Kays also starred in the music video for the song, which was directed and produced by Sarah Eiseman. The video takes place during a soccer game, and features a stoic Kays on the sidelines while everyone else plays. In between these clips, she is also shown earning medals for being the best bench sitter and dancing with others in the video. While it's unclear at the moment what the future holds for Kays, ‘Bench Sitter’ is a strong comeback for a promising young singer-songwriter who started out busking and singing at restaurants. At 25 years old, Kays has already embarked on two headlining tours, supported artists Dean Lewis and Alec Benjamin on their tours, and performed on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.