Mandy Moore’s first single in 10 years is a revelation

Mandy Moore is done living in the shadows. When she made her music debut some 20 years ago, she did so as a teenager alongside Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera, never quite reaching the heights of their popularity. When she shifted her focus predominantly towards film, she scored a hit alongside Keanu Reeves in A Walk to Remember, and most recently, as the matriarch on the hit NBC drama This Is Us. It seemed as though she left the music industry behind, but when allegations of misconduct by her ex-husband Ryan Adam surfaced, she became emboldened. She released a statement about Adams’ toxic hold over her music career, snuffing out her creative expression. Free from her past, Moore is ready to move on.

“When I Wasn’t Watching” is a sublime return, Moore sounding relaxed, relieved in her new surroundings. Joined by collaborators including Jenny Lewis producer Mike Viola, husband Taylor Goldsmith of Dawes, “Watching” wouldn’t sound out of place on Lewis’ excellent 2019 album On the Line. It’s a wonderful new look on Moore, who, after far too long away from the microphone, is ready to reclaim what’s rightfully hers.