Michelle Branch Is Back With Her First New Single

First Michelle Branch, then Vanessa Carlton, now Michelle Branch again. Or was it first Vanessa Carlton, then Michelle Branch, then Vanessa Carlton again? If you’ve ever confused the two, you are far from alone. They have a lot in common: they both thrived in the early aughts, both made classic tween bops still in rotation today, and are both making impromptu comebacks this year. But only one released a new single today, and that would be Michelle Branch.

We reported that the singer was releasing her first album, Hotel Paper, in 14 years last month, and now she’s released “Hopeless Romantic” from the forthcoming project. For those yearning for the pop songs of her older days, well, you might want to alter your expectations. Branch is working with Patrick Carney of the Black Keys (whom she’s also dating) and is going for a new “laid-back rock ‘n’ roll sound,” which is clear with her new song.

In a statement discussing her new album, Branch said, “A lot of these songs are about heartbreak, but knowing that it doesn’t mean the end of the world. It just means letting go and moving on and knowing that you’re going to be okay. This is my first real-life autobiographical record.”

We’ll have to wait until April 7, when Hotel Paper drops, to hear what, exactly, the story of Branch sounds like.