What happens when you put Gabby Barrett, Zach Kale and Jon Nite in a room on Halloween? A hit single, of course! In 2018, Gabby Barrett brought her hit single “I Hope” to life as she penned an authentic take on a personal relationship she had in high school. Barrett admits, “I think a lot of people can connect to it because everybody goes through a bad relationship whether it’s personal, family or whatever it is. I’m glad people have connected to the song and it’s been a fun journey to watch it.”. While the single definitely took its course on country radio, it caught the attention of someone special, Charlie Puth. Charlie came across “I Hope” and ended up posting a screenshot to his Instagram story. A few direct messages later, Charlie took the time to remix the song, lending his voice to a few verses, which closes Gabby’s debut album, out today!
Gabby Barrett’s debut album ‘Goldmine’ has been two years in the making. Barrett had a hand in the creative process every step of the way, co-writing nearly every song on the album. When it came to writing, Gabby admits, “It’s been really cool to create relationships with all these other writers. They taught me a lot about songwriting and I think songs that you’re a part of and are most genuine to you and your life story are the ones that are always going to last the longest. That’s why I wanted to be on most of the songs on my album. It’s been hard, but it’s been fun to cut down all the songs that we have written, to the thirteen tracks that we thought were best for the album.”.
Gabby definitely created a solid fan base when she was on American Idol. While the show brought her many great opportunities, she began to realize the difference between being on the show and starting a career in this industry. You get a taste of what life as a star is like on Idol and for Gabby specifically, she began to realize what she had to do once her time on the show wrapped; “You kind of have to start back at square one”, Gabby admits. She had to take the time to find a label that was interested in launching her career, she had to find a manager and she had to write original content. When you are on American Idol, you are mostly performing cover songs. Gabby was not sure if she was capable of writing original content. Before Idol, Gabby reveals, “I wasn’t the best writer, but being around good writers in Nashville, they have been able to show me that I am capable of writing songs.”. Ross Copperman and Zach Kale were among the select few who joined Gabby during the creative process for this album and she definitely learned a lot from them along the way.
This journey has come with a lot of special moments for Gabby, moments that she will carry with her for the rest of her life. On American Idol, Gabby had the opportunity to sing with Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan and Sugarland. After the show she got her first number one single on country radio with “I Hope” and she still has so much more left to gain. This year, Gabby received a nomination for New Female Artist of the Year at the AMC Awards, which is such a special accomplishment. Barrett continues, “all of the hard work that I have put in since I was eleven is worth it. It’s cool to see things starting to take off.”.
This is definitely just the start and Gabby Barrett has such a bright future ahead. We encourage each and every one of you at home to listen to Gabby’s debut album ‘Goldmine’, across all streaming platforms today, featuring the hit “I Hope”.