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Gabby Barrett wishes she’d written “I Can’t Make You Love Me.”
Bonnie Raitt released the iconic, powerful heartache ballad on her 12-track studio album, Luck of the Draw, in 1991. Barrett delivered a brief cover of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member’s song — noting that she “also loved” late legend George Michael’s version in the late 90s — in a clip she shared on Instagram on Tuesday (February 10).
“This is one of the most honest breakup songs. The perspective is very rare,” Barrett said as she explained why it’s one of her favorites and she wishes she’d written the song. “It’s not angry. It’s not bitter. Not trying to win anything. It’s a song that you simply sit with that says ‘love can’t be forced.’ The melody of the song just transports you into that world perfectly, where everything is pretty still and you just get to sit with the truth. I love it, and it’s honestly one of my favorites.”
The former American Idol contestant released her own hit breakup anthem, “I Hope,” in 2019, and rereleased it as a collaboration with Charlie Puth in 2020. Barrett has also become known for “The Good Ones,” “Pick Me Up,” “Glory Days” and more over the years. Her most recent singles include the love song “Ain’t Supposed To Be,” and “The Easy Part,” a breakup ballad that she described as “a distant cousin to ‘I Hope.’ It’s a different kind of heartbreak, one that settles in slow and quiet.” Watch her briefly cover “I Can’t Make You Love Me” and share why she wishes she’d written it here: