(Reybee) "There was no big epiphany, and honestly, the recording just flowed easily from years of playing it live," explains beloved Austin-based singer/songwriter BettySoo about her new single "What Do You Want From Me Now?," a gorgeous anthem that carries a bounty of angst and an even larger haul of melody, bringing a lush groove, layered harmonies, and the unmistakable warmth of her band's chemistry. Originally written by acclaimed songwriter Ralston Bowles, it is a crowd favorite that she has played live for years and is out today, June 6, 2025. It is the first track to be released from her upcoming album, If You Never Go Away (release date: July 18, 2025).
"'What Do You Want From Me Now?' kicks off with a swagger, but underneath that rhythm is someone asking, 'Will you accept me for who I am?' That tension- of confidence and insecurity- felt like the right way in," she says, adding that she got a thumbs up from Bowles himself. "I just loved it and thought it would be fun to play at shows with my band. Part of my joy in playing covers is spreading word about music written by people I like, especially if the writers don't tour much. And part of it is just playing a song that feels good."
Marking a much-anticipated return to the studio, "What Do You Want From Me Now?" is a taster for more music to come from the revered artist (her last studio offering, When We're Gone was released in 2014). A buzzworthy standout in the Americana and Folk worlds (MSNBC anchor Rachel Maddow is among her many fans), BettySoo has garnered fawning praise from the likes of Austin Chronicle, Austin American Statesman, Cowboys & Indians, and No Depression. Affectionately coined as "The Queen of the Bummer Jams," her ability to marry melancholia with hyper-immediate melodies is a well-documented gift. Austin's KUTX calls her music, "beautiful, heart-wrenching songwriting that is also edgy and unwavering," while Acoustic Guitar praises, "BettySoo may well have the most gorgeous voice in Texas ...if not in all contemporary folk - its purity and strength can be downright devastating."
Occupying the space in between studio albums with live shows (she is a frequent touring companion for icons James McMurtry and Chris Smither), BettySoo's in-between-song screeds are stuff of legend. Balancing her "bummer jams" with hilarious and often self-deprecating humor, her live performances and songs often trace the arc from love to heartbreak - yet she remains one of the most magnetic and entertaining performers onstage. "I've always been drawn to broken and sad things because they make me feel less alone in my own brokenness," she laughs, "But I'm not intentionally balancing sadness with humor - it's just part of being human."
With more music to come this Summer, BettySoo is ready to step back into the spotlight, but with no expectations. "A lot of people told me that the danger of releasing an album after a long gap is that no one remembers who you are," she admits. Her upbringing found her living in a traditional Asian-American multigenerational home ("We often had as many as twelve people living under one roof at a time!"), so attention-grabbing wasn't an inborn trait. "As the third of four daughters - the lesser of the middle children, I didn't grow up expecting anyone to remember who I was or even to take notice of me. I was neither born nor raised with a rockstar mindset," she says, self-effacingly. With all the powerful moments encoded in her upcoming album If You Never Go Away, BettySoo is in for a rude awakening.
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