Pia Toscano: "This Time" (2011)

"This Time" is the debut single of American recording artist and American Idol season 10 finalist, Pia Toscano. The song was first performed on the American Idol tour in Salt Lake City, Utah on July 5, 2011. It was premiered on On Air with Ryan Seacrest on July 11, 2011 and digitally released on July 13, 2011. The following day it was announced via Twitter that Toscano is filming a music video for the song. She performed the song the August 4, 2011 episode of So You Think You Can Dance. The music video for the song premiered on August 9.

The song has received positive to mixed reviews by critics. Joseph Brannigan Lynch of Entertainment Weekly says "it's the kind of song we can expect to hear Rachel Berry singing the next time Finn screws up: sad, relatable, and a touch awe-inspiring. Chris Willman of Los Angeles Times gave the song a more negative review, saying Pia "sings the hell out of it, of course"; he calls the song itself "a compendium of comeback cliches that almost reads like a parody of the whole I-will-survive genre." Jillian Mapes and Sarah Maloy of Billboard say "Lyrically, Toscano finds her strength -- from what sounds to be an emotionally or even physically abusive relationship -- on the midtempo pop ballad."


- Lyrics:

Well I’m mad as hell
I ain’t gon’ take it no more
My bag is packed up at the back of your door
‘Cause I don’t know who I am no more
You won the battle but you lost the war
I’ve been in denial, now I’m living the truth
Been down for a while, now I’m standing up to you

[Refrain]

this time I’m gonna do it my away
This time, I’m finding out the hard away
This time, I’m gonna go back to the girl I was on the night you found me
No more, closing back the real me
Just wait, in a minute you’ll see
This time, is in time, it’s my time
Getting back to the real me
Don’t try to stop me with the words you say
‘Cause I’m sick and tired of the games you play
I’m gonna free myself, gonna make a change
And like a butterfly, I’mma spread my wings
Been crying for too long, now I’m drying my eyes
Grounded for so long, now it’s time for me to fly

[Refrain]

This time, this time I’m gonna do it my away
This time, I’m finding out the hard away
This time, I’m gonna go back to the girl I was on the night you found me
No more, closing back the real me
Just wait, in a minute you’ll see
This time, is in time, it’s my time
Getting back to the real me
I’m mad as hell
I can’t take it no more
My bag is packed up at the back of your door
I promise you, this time!

[Refrain]

This time, this time I’m gonna do it my away
This time, I’m finding out the hard away
This time, I’m gonna go back to the girl I was on the night you found me
No more, closing back the real me
Just wait, in a minute you’ll see
This time, is in time, it’s my time
Getting back to the real me