Feature Photo: Justin Higuchi from Los Angeles, CA, USA, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Our Top 10 Alyssa Bonagura Songs list looks at a talented singer, songwriter, musician and producer. She mixes country music with rock and pop music. Alyssa Bonagura was born to be a star. Her vocals are soulful, and her lyrics will make you feel a variety of emotions. The singer has written songs for Hunter Hayes, Michelle Branch, J.D. Souther, Jessie James Decker, Steven Tyler, Jana Kramer, Jo Dee Messina, Tyler Hilton, Morgan Evans, Sarah Jarosz, Tyler Ward, Isabelle Boulay as well as others. She didn’t just write good songs for other artists. She saved some for herself. Some of her singles include “I Make My Own Sunshine,” “Killing Me,” “Nothing More to Say,” “New Wings,” “Other Side of the World,” as well as others.
Alyssa Bonagura was born on April 1, 1988. Music was in her blood because she’s the daughter of singers Michael Bonagura and Kathie Baillie. They are members of Baillie & the Boys. Alyssa Bonagura sang when she was a toddler. When she was 10 she sang a duet with Kenny Rogers on his album Christmas From The Heart. She did backup vocals on her mother’s album Love’s Funny That Way. The singer and songwriter wrote songs when she was 13. Joni Mitchell was her inspiration for guitar playing. By the time she was 16, she opened for Marty Stuart and his Fabulous Superlatives on their tour. She was a session singer for artists like Matt Maher. Alyssa Bonagura learned how to layer her harmonious vocals by listening to her parents sing together.
Her songs appeared in TV shows and movies. When she was in college Pete Wylie wanted her to join his band Pete Wylie and The Mighty Wah! She released Before the Breaking in November 2008. It features the singles “Steal You Away,” “Hush Don’t Cry,” “Why Don’t We Say Goodbye” and “Hey Cowboy.” The English Diaries dropped in 2010. It features the songs “Myself with Someone Else,” “Fly,” “Leaving This Heartache for a Song” and “Before Tonight.” Love Hard was released in October 2012. It features the songs “Killing Me,” “I Make My Own Sunshine” and “We Stop Time.” Road Less Traveled came out in September 2016 and features the singles “I Wanna Marry You,” “Like a Child,” “Crying” and “Angel.”
Alyssa Bonagura showed early on that she was destined to be a singer. She didn’t just use her parents’ connections to get her where she wanted to go. She relied on her talent to get her where she is today. Our Top 10 Alyssa Bonagura Songs list focuses on an underrated singer who is destined for stardom.
# 10 – Thank You for Being a Friend
The 10th song on our Top 10 Alyssa Bonagura Songs list is “Thank You for Being a Friend” from the Fly with Me album. The song was released in June 2023. The song is about being grateful and appreciating a friend who has been in her life for a long time. The friends have been on a long journey together. No one else has been as loyal and supportive of the singer as her friend. The singer talks about wanting to return her friend’s loyalty and help her any way she can. If her friend needed anything, she would make sure she got it. When they are older she will stay by her friend’s side. When they die she will call out to her and see her again in the afterlife.
“Thank You for Being a Friend” is a tribute to a friend. This is a song that is a perfect way to celebrate a friendship. If you have a friend who is loyal to you, this song will hit close to home. You may feel like the song was written about your friendship. This is a cover of Andrew Gold’s song. The song gained new life when it was used as the theme song for The Golden Girls in the 80s.
Alyssa Bonagura threw her hat in the ring and sang the song too. The singer changed the instrumentation from the original version. Andrew Gold’s version had more instrumentation while her version is stripped down. The musician only had the guitar and finger snaps in her version. She stayed true to Andrew Gold’s lyrics. She added vocalization and ad libs to the song which helped separate it from the original version. She showcases her vocal strength in the song. She belted and performed excellent runs. We applaud her efforts in trying to make this popular song her own.
# 9 – Killing Me ft. Tyler Wilkinson
The ninth song on our Top 10 Alyssa Bonagura Songs list is “Killing Me” from the Love Hard album. The track was released in 2012. This is a haunting love song. The singers talk about how the touch of each other’s’ skin would be the death of them. If their love is Heaven, they want to be laid to rest. If it’s not Heaven, it’s second best. They question why it took so long to find love. They didn’t think they would ever find it until they found each other. The singers enjoy watching the way their partners move. They want to kiss each other because their kisses are lethal. They want to drown in each other’s love. The artists can’t breathe because they are so in love.
“Killing Me” tells a dramatic story about a couple in love. The song encourages listeners that they can find love. It’s never too late to find it. The story goes into detail about how love can affect you. The lyrics are moving and may bring a tear to your eye. The music blends country and rock together to make this exciting sound. Alyssa Bonagura and Tyler Wilkinson play acoustic guitars on the track. They are talented musicians. The music will give you goosebumps. Alyssa Bonagura and Tyler Wilkinson’s voices blend well together. They sing as if they were meant to sing together. They sing with passion. There are no egos involved. They give each other room to shine on the song. This song would make a great wedding song.
# 8 – Jealous
The eighth song on our Top 10 Alyssa Bonagura Songs list is “Jealous” from the Fly with Me album. The song came out in March 2023. It’s about a woman who is in the honeymoon stage of her relationship. Her friends are “jealous” of her relationship with her partner. She opens the song talking about how “jealous” people are when they see them together. She turns every color in the rainbow when she looks at him. Fate was something she never believed in before until now. She wanted to keep their love a secret, but it was out. The singer wants to make people “jealous.” They should give people something to talk about because everyone wants the kind of love they have for each other. It may cause trouble, but she doesn’t care. It’s hard to hide their feelings for each other so she wants to make people envious.
“Jealous” gives off the impression that it’s a song about bitterness, but it’s not like that at all. It’s a story about a woman who is happy in her relationship. She wants to show the world how lucky she is to have her man in her life. The lyrics are different in a good way. There aren’t too many songs like this one that are on the radio. The fact that she wants to make her friends “jealous” may not go over well with everyone, but we don’t blame her. Who wouldn’t be happy about the love they have in their lives? Alyssa Bonagura’s guitar riffs are amazing. She is a talented musician. The music is pleasant on the ear. The instrumentation isn’t too loud so it’s easy to focus on the lyrics and her vocals. She sings the song in a deeper key than our previous entries. She sings with the confidence needed to pull off this song.
# 7 – New Wings
The seventh song is “New Wings.” The non album single was released in July 2021. “New Wings” is a song about the struggles that make us human. Our struggles don’t define who we are. They are what help us turn into the people we are meant to be. The track begins with her talking about being loved and hated. She is famous and has been betrayed. The friends she had along the way didn’t stay the way she thought they would. There are times when change doesn’t always feel good. Sometimes change doesn’t feel good, but other times it does feel good. She can never go back to the way things were before. It’s painful letting go of what you lost, but she isn’t going to lose hope.
She knows there’s more out there like “new wings” on a butterfly ready to soar. The singer feels like she’s being reborn with “new wings” so she’s not going back to her past. In the next verse, she talks about one door closing while another opens. She doesn’t know where she’s going to go, but her fate is taking her down the right path. As long as there’s love in her heart, she knows there is something better for her.
“New Wings” is an introspective song about struggling and how it can make you grow stronger. The song has a good message about not letting your struggles define you. The song teaches you how to make a bad situation better. With everything that’s been going on in the world, this is a timely song. We need a song like this in our lives. The track is a reminder that what doesn’t kill us will make us stronger. The music has a bouncy beat. It will put a much-needed smile on your face. This is a track you can listen to if you want to pick up your mood. The song is refreshing and will take your mind off your troubles. The true star of the song is Alyssa Bonagura. Her voice has a beautiful tone. Her harmonies are angelic. Her voice is reminiscent of her mother Kathie Baillie.
# 6 – Nothing More to Say
“Nothing More to Say” is a non album single that was released in 2012. The heartfelt song is about the end of a relationship. He used to be her king. He took her heart and threw it in the sea. There’s nothing left of them. They are suffering in misery. She’s tired of arguing with him so she’s giving up. They will never agree on anything. She gave him her love and she lost it. He threw their love away. There’s nothing more to say. She can’t feel anything because they are always fighting. They have done all they could to save the relationship. They’ve always been different from each other. She tried to wait for time to heal the pain, but they couldn’t get past it. In the past, nothing could come between them. Unfortunately, that’s not the case. The fight between them has gone on long enough. There’s nothing more they can do because they will always be this way.
This metaphoric ballad is about a couple who are coming to the end of their relationship. The singer uses battle imagery to explain what happened in the relationship. It was a unique way to tell the story. This song is proof that she can write more than happy love songs. She can write about the other side of love. Some of us have been down the road that she describes in the song. This track is one that you will feel if you are dealing with a breakup. The music is soft and tender. The piano laden ballad is beautiful. It gives her a chance to do something different musically. She pushes herself vocally. She belts and sings in falsetto throughout the song. The piano instrumentation allows her vocals to shine. She almost turned the song into a power ballad.
# 5 – One Kiss
The next song on our Top 10 Alyssa Bonagura Songs list is “One Kiss” from the Fly with Me album. It came out in June 2023. The song is about the way you feel when your relationship ends. You find yourself thinking about the good times. She reminisces about a past relationship. He left a love note at the foot of the bed. Her pillow smells like his cologne. She hated that he had to go. He blew in like a tornado and changed her life. One minute they were happy and the next she was crying. For some reason, the tears feel different this time.
In the chorus, she reminisces about when they were together. He was the song she had never written. He’s the one she will never forget. His name is inside of her heart and now she’s a changed woman. She’s never going to let go. They could take their time because she’s waited her entire life for it. Everything started with that “one kiss.” As the song continues, she talks about the love they have for each other.
“One Kiss” tells a couple of stories. It opens with her talking about the end of a relationship and continues talking about what made her fall in love with him. It gives details about why the relationship ended. She doesn’t miss a beat with this song. She tells the story in reverse so we are along for the journey. The sentimental music sets the tone for the subject. The music starts off soft and simple until she includes the acoustic guitar. It gets louder in the chorus and that’s where the music comes alive. Her vocals are enchanting. She uses a double throughout the song. It was a nice touch to hear her vocals that way. She sounds like she’s singing a duet with herself. She keeps her vocals normal. She doesn’t belt too much in the song. Her vocals are pretty on this track.
# 4 – Other Side of the World
“Other Side of the World” is a non album single. The song was released in April 2022. “Other Side of the World” is about a long-distance relationship. The couple aren’t together in the song. They are in different places. She’s on one side of the world and wants to be with him. She wants to compromise and meet somewhere in the middle. He can pick the beach and she will be there. They could be together. In the next verse, the singer talks about how close they feel even though they are connected through their phones. She wants them to be in the same time zone. She wants him to think about the magic that could happen when they are together. The singer doesn’t have to miss her partner.
“Other Side of the World” tells the story about a woman who can’t be with the man she loves. It’s not mentioned in the song why they aren’t together, but we know they are apart. She finds herself miserable without him. She would do anything for them to be together. The lyrics are romantic and sad. They love each other, but they can’t be together. If you are in a long-distance relationship, you’ll be able to understand the lyrics. The lyrics may make you wish you were with the person you love. The song fuses country and pop music. It’s sure to please fans of both genres. Alyssa Bonagura writes songs that appeal to fans of different genres. Her country roots are shining through in her vocals. She utilizes her southern drawl to the best of her ability. Her vocals are strong enough to be heard over the music.
# 3 – Fly With Me
Coming in at number three is “Fly with Me” from the EP of the same name. The song was released in June 2023. It’s about a woman who wants a man to fly away with her. The song opens with her dreaming of him every night. She thinks about him all the time. Even if she tried, she couldn’t get him off her mind. The singer longs to hear his voice on the phone so he can tell her when he’s going to be home. It feels right when she’s with him. They could fly away together.
They could leave their troubles in the past. With him by her side, she can do anything. They could take on the world. He would be her king and she would be his queen. The singer wants to leave immediately. He can take her hand so they could jump in the sky. She’s waited years to have someone like him. She’s grateful to have him in her life.
“Fly with Me” is a sweet and romantic song about finding love. The song teaches you to have patience when it comes to love. You may not find it right away, but you’ll eventually have it. The song is relatable to couples in love. It’s a touching song that’s not too sappy and syrupy sweet. It’s a great song to walk down the aisle to or to play at your reception. You could also use this when you are spending time with your lover. Alyssa Bonagura vocally knocked this song out of the park. Her vocals are stacked which gives the song something extra. Her vocals are melodic. She keeps things soft until she hits the chorus. She vocally explodes in the chorus. The memorable chorus will stay in your head.
# 2 – Know You Better
“Know You Better” is from the Fly with Me EP. The track was released in June 2023. The song is self-explanatory. She wants to know different things about him. The singer asks her partner different questions. She doesn’t want to waste time with frivolous questions. She wants them to get together so she can get to know him better. In the next verse, she asks thought provoking questions. This gives him a chance to open up to her in more detail. It will give her a better idea of what makes him tick.
“Know You Better” is about a woman who wants to get to know a potential lover better. She doesn’t want to waste time talking about different things. She wants to find ways to know the real him. We like how she makes us feel like we’re on a journey with her to get to know her potential lover better. She’s asking questions we wish we could ask the people in our lives. The song is well written, and it sounds like she’s having a conversation with her partner. The music has a country vibe. The acoustic sound is perfect for the theme of the song. It sets the tone for the alluring lyrics. We applaud her for being straightforward and knowing what she wants. She sings with passion and desire for the man she loves. She gives the listeners a treat by vocalizing in the bridge. Her soulful vocals may make you a fan of her music. Our only complaint is the song ends abruptly.
# 1 – I Make My Own Sunshine
The number one song on our Top 10 Alyssa Bonagura Songs list is “I Make My Own Sunshine” from the Love Hard album. The song came out in 2012. The song is about optimism and empowerment. The track opens with her thinking everything is wonderful and great. She’s free as a bird swimming outside of her window. It’s a new day and she has lots of love to give. It doesn’t matter if it’s raining because it doesn’t bother her. No one can break her. She invites the listeners to make a rainbow and look for the pot of gold. She will show you how to keep it nice and easy. If a cloud forms on her day, she won’t let it stand in her way.
“I Make My Own Sunshine” is about someone who is optimistic and empowered. Listening to this track might give you the strength to do the same thing she did in the song. It may make you feel empowered. It gives you hope that you will create your own happiness. It teaches you about resiliency. We love the message in this song. With everything happening in the world, this song has a great message. The musical arrangement is upbeat and vibrant. The instrumentation is limited for the song. The song features the acoustic guitar which is all the song needs. Alyssa Bonagura’s vocals are excellent on this song. The music complements her vocals. Her vocalizing is fire on this song. The chorus is easy to sing along with as you listen to the track. The song is easy to remember and will stay in your head.
Top 10 Alyssa Bonagura Songs article published on Classic RockHistory.com© 2023
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