Singer-songwriter Josie works on a song in her shared Portland apartment, a girl-at-the-guitar on the cusp of leaving for New York City and a long-anticipated big break. Though her luggage is packed and she’s almost out the door, her boyfriend interjects with objections—he’ll miss her. Josie’s reassurances, dreams of him visiting her on the East Coast or even him transferring schools for them to be together, fail to confront his unspoken real reasons. A scathing soul-inspired arioso follows, unpacking Del’s disbelief in her future plans and abilities as an artist. This lack of faith reads as betrayal to Josie, whose anger vaults the ensuing argument out of singer-songwriter range and into full operatic soprano. Josie struggles to be heard on globally recognized stages as well as in her romantic relationship. Ultimately, guitar case in hand, she walks out the door.

The popular music style reflects Josie’s musical milieu. Her vocal lines are freer, with jazz-styled riffs emblematic of her free-spirited nature, while Del’s lines lay flatter with more repeated notes, an indication of his characterization as a “stick in the mud” in contrast to self-starter Josie and their friends.