John Vento’s soft, gravelly tones have been a mainstay in the country music scene for a long time now. His signature style of songwriting paired with incredible emotional gravitas and skilled performances draw fans from all over the world. Now, his latest single titled “Sweet Cheslie,” has just released, so once again it’s time to give it a thorough review to see whether it lives up to expectations.
The song opens up with soft acoustic guitars, keeping them for the whole song, keeping a personal and sentimental touch. John Vento’s style is grounded and simple, and it works phenomenally well for the type of song “Sweet Cheslie” is. While a certain darkness lurks behind some of the lyrics, for the most part, it’s incredibly inviting.
“Sweet Cheslie” is dedicated to the memory of Cheslie Kryst, who was an American television correspondent, model, and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss USA 2019.
As Miss USA, she represented the United States at the Miss Universe 2019 competition and finished
in the Top Ten. She would sadly go on to commit suicide, which serves as the backbone for the song.
After her death, Cheslie’s mother released a statement that her daughter had suffered from high- functioning depression. Thus, “Sweet Cheslie” carries with it a lot of weight. It’s John Vento’s release for Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, and it’s a fitting tune to release during such a time. Many people face these issues every day, and having something to hold on to like family can help a lot.
It’s a very comfortable sounding song, the kind of song you listen to when you’re feeling nostalgic and warm inside. It evokes pleasant memories, especially with its soft, sweet sound. John Vento’s songwriting also lends heavily to the tune’s atmosphere of warmth and melancholy. There’s a lot that can be said about the soothing atmosphere music can create, and John Vento makes full use of it here.
Overall, we can gladly say that “Sweet Cheslie” definitely lives up to the hype! It’s yet another excellent piece by John Vento, and a solid addition to his already great catalogue of music. We really cannot wait to see what’s next for the artist, as he continues to make more heartwarming and enjoyable music.
–Jason Airy
