Big quotation marks around everything that has been said already, followed by an equally big exclamation point!

Both versions of the song really hit the mark for giving the listener a "shoes kicked off and nothin' much to do while a cool breeze accents an otherwise sunny day" feel.

The main difference to my ear is stylistic. Like it or not, we all tend to model our performances on some static point in music history. Whereas most of your songs sound remarkably like the female singers you probably listened to for most of your life, your collaborator does too... except she has been listening to different singers.

Its worth noting that by the time a "style" becomes recognizeable, it is already cliche-ridden. In that sense, your collaborator's approach is not more innovative than yours, it just appeals to a cliche that is still being imitated.

Having said all that, I want to ask why your signature still says "ASPIRING singer-songwriter" ??? Such wording implies that you HOPE to sing and write songs some day... but you are already doing both. (I think it should just list your name, and let your work speak for itself)