Twenty-five years later, the room is still open.
On August 14, 2001, a young singer-songwriter from Sedona, Arizona, released an album that would become one of the defining pop-rock records of its generation.
That album was The Spirit Room.
Before the major-label success came “Broken Bracelet,” Branch’s independent 2000 release on Twin Dragon Records, an early glimpse into the songwriting that would eventually capture the attention of Maverick Records (the label co-founded and owned by Madonna). Still a teenager, Branch was already demonstrating a level of emotional clarity and melodic instinct that set her apart, even in a crowded early-2000s pop-rock landscape.
Then came The Spirit Room, produced by John Shanks.
With “Everywhere,” “All You Wanted” and “Goodbye to You,” Branch reached audiences far beyond the teenage market. The album reached No. 28 on the Billboard 200 and was certified double platinum, proving that a young woman with a guitar and her own songs could command mainstream radio.
Her story continued with Hotel Paper, which debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200. Then came “The Game of Love,” her Grammy-winning collaboration with Santana.
Now that song is coming full circle.
Gregg Alexander, founder of the New Radicals, and acclaimed songwriter-producer Rick Nowels, the original songwriters behind “The Game of Love,” have reunited with Branch to revisit the Grammy-winning song—connecting an important chapter of her past with the music she’s creating today.
That reunion adds another layer to the anticipation surrounding Branch’s forthcoming Everything and Back Again EP, scheduled for release November 6, 2026. The project looks back toward the music of The Spirit Room and Hotel Paper while also moving forward with new material.
For LGBTQIA+ audiences, Branch’s story carries a familiar and enduring thread: finding your voice before anyone else can define you.
The Spirit Room wasn’t simply a successful album. It was a moment when a teenager walked into a complicated music industry with songs that felt personal, honest and real—and refused to fit neatly into a category.
Twenty-five years later, Michelle Branch is still writing her own story. And the room is still open.
