"But Beautiful" is a Jimmy Van Heusen composition with lyrics by Johnny Burke, performed on Samara Joy's 2021 self-titled debut album. This gorgeous ballad, which has been memorably recorded by artists from Bill Evans to Chet Baker, is presented at a gentle tempo of approximately 69 beats per minute in D-flat. The tune's ABAB' form offers a subtly different structure from the more common AABA, and Joy navigates its emotional contours with the poise of a far more experienced vocalist. Pasquale Grasso contributes a brief quarter-chorus solo that is a masterclass in ballad guitar playing, with each note carefully weighted and placed for maximum emotional impact. At this slow tempo, the space between notes becomes as expressive as the notes themselves, and Grasso's restraint demonstrates a musical maturity that complements Joy's own understated approach. The song's lyrical content, which meditates on the contradictions of love, finds an ideal interpreter in Joy, whose warm, centered tone conveys both vulnerability and strength. As one of the album's most intimate moments, "But Beautiful" showcases the qualities that would earn Joy widespread acclaim: a beautiful voice, impeccable taste, and the emotional intelligence to make every song feel deeply personal and genuinely felt.
