Listen: Sara Bareilles Debuts 'Salt Then Sour Then Sweet' From Andrea Gibson Film

GRAMMY-winning, Tony and Emmy-nominated singer-songwriter Sara Bareilles has released “Salt Then Sour Then Sweet,” an original song featuring Brandi Carlile. The lyrics of the song come from an original poem written by acclaimed poet and activist Andrea Gibson. Listen to the song now.

The original song is featured in the Apple Original Films documentary Come See Me in the Good Light, which has officially debuted in select theaters and globally on Apple TV. The movie is a portrait of Andrea Gibson’s life, love, and heartbreaking battles.

Bareilles was first introduced to Gibson through their vulnerable and transparent social media posts detailing their diagnosis with an incurable ovarian cancer. After attending one of Gibson’s final live performances, Bareilles crossed paths with friends and filmmakers Abby Wambach and Glennon Doyle, who invited Bareilles to contribute to the documentary.

Bareilles crafted “Salt Then Sour Then Sweet” from the seeds of an original Gibson poem. Writing the backbone of the music in just a day, Bareilles then connected with Carlile, and the two transformed the piece into a duet. The song, which serves as the documentary’s finale, has since been nominated for a Hollywood Music in Media Award.

“Andrea’s poem felt like a map for living fully. It was almost sacred to bring these words to song. Working with Brandi, we created a duet meant to leave listeners full of love, embracing the joy and pain of life without holding back," Bareilles shares. 

Come See Me in the Good Light follows Colorado Poet Laureate Andrea Gibson and their wife Megan Falley as they face an incurable cancer diagnosis with joy, wit and unflinching vulnerability. Directed by Ryan White, the film debuted at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival, where it received the Festival Favorite Award. Bareilles and Carlile also serve as executive producers on the project.

Sara Bareilles is an award-winning singer, songwriter, actor, producer, activist, and New York Times best-selling author. Her accolades include two Grammy® Awards, three Tony® Award nominations, and three Primetime Emmy® Award nominations. She has sold more than 3 million albums and 15 million singles in the U.S., with her songs streamed over 3.5 billion times worldwide.

In musical theater, Bareilles composed the music and lyrics for the hit Broadway musical Waitress and starred in the show both on Broadway and the West End. She also earned a Tony nomination for her performance as ‘The Baker’s Wife’ in Into the Woods. Additional credits include writing for SpongeBob SquarePants: The Broadway Musical and starring as Mary Magdalene in NBC's Jesus Christ Superstar Live (earning an Emmy nomination). Bareilles currently plays Dawn Solano in the Emmy-nominated Netflix series Girls5eva and is developing a musical theater adaptation of The Interestings with Sarah Ruhl.

Photo credit: Shervin Lainez