FEATURE:
Spotlight
Tanner Adell
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EVEN if…
this artist has been on the scene for a little bit now, Tanner Adell is someone who has been highlighted as an artist to look out for this year. There are a few interviews with Tanner Adell that I want to bring in. Give more depth to this amazing artist who many tip as the future of Country music. I am starting out with an interview from PAPER. Anyone unfamiliar with Tanner Adell should definitely check out her music:
“Tanner Adell might describe her signature sound as “glam country,” but it’s more than that. It’s the future of country itself; it’s a future she’s been sprinting towards since well before her feature on Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter, or her induction into CMT’s Next Women of Country. “The day I moved to Nashville, I was sprinting, and then I never stopped in the last three years," she tells PAPER.
In a grove beneath the signature Hangout, the Gulf Shores haunt that Hangout Fest is named after, Tanner Adell sings, dances, rocks out on multiple instruments and even belts an acapella rendition of “Happy Birthday” to a fan near fainting. The heat hasn’t gotten to her one bit, at least from appearances, and for a moment the crowd seems to forget the sweltering sun. That’s how powerful her force of nature talent is in person: strong enough to make you forget the sun even rises in the sky at all.
The singer-songwriter — and fashion obsessive, as she makes clear to me later — burst onto the country music scene with 2022’s “Love You a Little Bit,” one of her earliest singles, later included on the deluxe edition of her debut album, 2023’s Buckle Bunny. The title track propelled this momentum further, with Adell hustling behind the scenes to make ends meet while chasing stardom in Nashville. In her trailer after the set, she tells me: “I sold everything that I had to be able to get there. I moved into low-income housing. I had my lights turned off. I had days where there was only cold water.”
Still, she never let the cracks show. On stage, she’s as polished as peers who’ve been doing this decades longer, the strength of her creativity and artistic vision showing in every minute detail of her outfit, her setlist, her skill on the guitar and banjo. Her outfit, custom-made by Levi's, is encrusted with ribbons and rhinestones. Her fans in the crowd are equally dolled-up; from my vantage stage right, I spot in cowgirl hats and boots and glitter and everything else that seeps through the doorway into “glam country” she’s thrown right open.
The inimitable nerve that propelled her to pack up and move to Nashville also shows in so many other ways. Like a tweet from earlier this year that, at the very least, aided along the feature on a Beyoncé song she’d prophesied about since her earliest memories: “As one of the only Black girls in country music scene, I hope Bey decides to sprinkle me with a dash of her magic for a collab.” I ask about those dreams and prophecies later. “I wanted to make sure over the last three years that I put in the groundwork, so that when the moment came, that I was going to open the doors, I’d be ready," she says.
Later, I leave her trailer shaken, knowing I’d just sat down with someone who will — no matter the shape of the industry to come — shake things up forever. My colleagues back in the holding area pick up on the energy crackling all over me, grip tight around my voluminous skirt, a grin cutting clear across my face. They ask how it went, and I tell them: “I don't even know where to begin. You’ll just have to see for yourself.”
Congrats on the release of “Whiskey Blues.” Let’s start there. As you’re getting back in the studio, what are you being drawn to sonically and artistically right now? What inspirations are you pulling from?
I love Olivia Rodrigo. I love “Driver’s License,” I love Guts. I’ve loved “Deja Vu.” It feels like she’s the first artist in a really long time to scream into the mic, and be like, “This is how I’m feeling!” My mood right now is writing exactly what I’m feeling and thinking and going through. I’m currently in the middle of finishing up my album, that may or may not be coming out by the end of the year.
Is this something new?
This is new! I’ve been writing it since last July, but there are songs on it that I wrote a couple of years ago, that I felt very, very deeply tell my story. Parts that I haven’t really talked about publicly. I’m entering this new mood, and “Whiskey Blues” kicked it off. I disguised it with a killer, pop diva vocal, and it has such a fun beat. But when you break it down, if you read the lyrics, it’s deranged? I’m moving into that, and speaking my truth. It’s the mood right now.
When you talk about speaking your truth, I’m reminded of your song “See You In Church,” because I was raised evangelical. I watched your video back when you put it out about growing up in the Mormon church and realizing all these things about what you’d been taught growing up. Did you find it hard to put that song out, or was it healing for you?
“See You In Church” is a little bit of my — and I don’t really use the word "ratchet" — but it’s about my wild side. It’s this juxtaposition of what I was doing during the week and then still having to show up and act like I’m this perfect person. And how exhausting that is. Now I am trying to be as vulnerable as possible, and let my walls down, and that can be really hard. But I’m trying not to let those walls come back up, and prevent me from sharing with people. There’s a lot of people like you and me, and it’s really important that people know this! This is my year that I am spilling everything.
I mean, that lifestyle of kissing boys in the backs of trucks, partying, running into people you don’t want to see you like that, and then having to see them in church that Sunday. So, you played an unreleased song for us during your set. Can you spill on what it’s called, or when we can expect it?
“Silverado” is the name of it. It’s an early tease for the album and it’s about a part of my journey in Nashville. I picked up and moved everything to Nashville. I’d never been there before, and I sold everything that I had to be able to get there. I moved into low-income housing. I had my lights turned off. I had days where there was only cold water. There was a night where I had an event, and I had been out all day, and I didn’t have a car, so I was literally riding those Lime scooters around Nashville.
Oh my god, not the Lime scooters!
In the sleet, uphill, both ways. I was like, I literally have half an hour to get ready, so I sat in front of my mirror, holding my phone light up to the mirror, trying to get as much done as I could. I ended up wearing sunglasses at night, because I was not confident I had gotten my makeup where I needed it to be. “Silverado” is the more extroverted, hopeful side of that. The chorus is like, yeah, we’re broke, but we ain’t broke down! We’re getting through this. We’re wishing on the stars that we can’t see behind the clouds, we’re still wishing on them, we know that they’re there. It’s that hopefulness. I’ve written songs that are more of my interior life, that go into the same story as “Silverado," but done in a very different way. “Silverado” is more of a little snack off the album, and I’ll be playing it all summer.
I made a mistake by reading Instagram comments on my way over here, listening to “Buckle Bunny,” and browsing what people had to say on Youtube. There’s so many people who seem to think you wrote the song not knowing what “buckle bunny” means. Do you ever feel frustrated by how people who approach your music that way or do you pay it no mind?
There’s too many people that love me! You know what I mean? I think I’ve learned very quickly that the energy that I want to spend is on the people who love me, who love my music, and the people who get it. That’s all that matters.
I find it cool that the song takes this thing that is a misogynistic thing men say about women —
And women who are not girl’s girls also say about other women!
Exactly, and you flipped it on its head and made it a feminist anthem.
That’s what it means now, as far as I’m concerned. Everyone wants to be a buckle bunny this summer.
Divas link up!
Absolutely, divas link up!
To follow up on that, I was listening to you just now talk about low-income housing, getting your lights turned off, and those are some of the most “I’m in a country song right now!”
I mean, that’s my whole life. I feel like I’ve lived a unique situation, between California and Wyoming. I saw both sides, which is why I love that everyone is saying the music is “glam country.” That’s what I am, “glam country.” At the end of the day, I was showing up even though my life was falling apart. I was showing up with the ribbons and the nails and the makeup, and I made sure that I could do my makeup really well. Nobody even knew, nobody could tell that the last two and half years, it’s been faking it ‘til I make it, and making my own clothes and thrifting and finding ways to be able to show up onstage or at an interview or an event looking like a billion dollars.
I mean, it’s this moment that you’re in with your career right now. One thing I connect to so much in your music and art, as do so many fans, is how you have such a distinct and specific point of view. I’ve heard you talk a lot about what you took away from your time in Wyoming, but I wonder what you also took away from growing up in California?
I think LA is what gave me the stars in my eyes. I think that’s where the performance side, and the entertainment side, the glam, I got from LA. I think if it was just Wyoming, then I would just be tilling the field, planting seeds, farming, and I still do want a farm. If it was just LA, I don’t know, I feel like I’d be a badass editor-in-chief, but I like having both sides. Music is what bridges those for me, and I started writing really, really young. I’m half and half, and I’ve been half and half my whole life: biracial, California, Wyoming. LA gave me the “glam” in “glam country”.
I am moving on to an interview from REVOLT. They explore the phenomenal work of Tanner Adell, but they also write how her influence goes beyond music. Someone who is making a big difference in the world. Even though I am a bit late to the party, I really love what Adell is putting out:
“Tanner Adell was always destined to be a princess. No, not prim, proper or precious, but powerful. Growing up with a voracious love for stories, she was captivated by the tales of brave heroines. “The Goose Girl” by Shannon Hale left an indelible mark on her young imagination. “I’ve always loved stories like that — princesses on a journey,” she told REVOLT in this exclusive interview, adding that Disney’s Brave is one of her favorites. “I just love bada** princesses.” Little did she know that this early fascination with fierce female protagonists would set the stage for her own character arc.
Nowadays, the star appears to be living a story straight out of a fairytale: A collaboration with Beyoncé under her belt, performing all over the world, a song on a major movie soundtrack, a historic televised award show performance, and donning dazzling designer dresses — all while the world can’t get enough of her. So, how did a girl from Lexington, Kentucky become one of Nashville, Tennessee’s shining stars?
The singer-songwriter's journey to the limelight began rather differently than that of most country artists. As a biracial child adopted by a white family and raised in a strict Mormon milieu, her early years oscillated between two different worlds. “I grew up in a unique situation between California and Wyoming, seeing both the Beyoncé and George Strait of it all,” she illustrated. This diverse upbringing is reflected in her eclectic sound. But it was Nashville — her home of the last three years — where the country pop artist honed her craft. “I’m making my strides in country music and mainstream music in general,” she shared.
When Queen Bey announced her next era after RENAISSANCE, Adell remained determined to land on her radar. “Beyoncé is just someone that I've always looked up to and really loved and wanted to collaborate with,” the "Love You a Little Bit” singer said. Though she was met with doubt by many, they were forced to eat their words in March when Beyoncé’s official foray into the country genre was released and Adell was featured on the project — twice. While the specifics of their collaboration remain a mystery, participating in “BLACKBIIRD” and “AMERIICAN REQUIEM” on COWBOY CARTER was a pivotal moment in her career.
Expressing her gratitude for the “incredible stepping stone,” Adell reflected, “I’m excited to finish the year strong and grateful for the incredible opportunities and doors that have opened.” Beyoncé became the first Black female country artist to top the genre’s charts, and Adell experienced her own firsts thereafter, including her Billboard debut.
In June, Adell became the first female country artist to ever perform at the BET Awards since its inception in 2001. She stunned the crowd in her signature sandy blonde waist-length tresses, pigmented lilac eyeshadow and an all-white lace ensemble. Her performance of the viral track “Buckle Bunny” along with her latest single, the insanely catchy “Cowboy Break My Heart,” was a defining moment. You’d never believe this was Adell’s first-ever award show appearance with the way she effortlessly blended classic country with pop sensibilities and Hip Hop undertones. The singer flawlessly showcased her versatility, vocals and magnetic stage presence all at once.
Reflecting on the momentous experience, she told REVOLT, “I found out the day of that I would be making history. It was definitely a shock, but as I thought about it, I realized no one has really done what I’m doing.” And doing what’s never been done has become commonplace for the rising musician.
“Cowboy Break My Heart” marked the beginning of a new era as she prepares for what is perhaps her most significant milestone to date: her debut album. The song has both an upbeat version and a more intimate acoustic rendition that she previewed on Instagram, highlighting her commitment to showcasing different perspectives in her music. “Any good song can be stripped down and have the same effect or even be better sometimes,” she shared. When detailing her songwriting process, Adell explained that the “stripped down” version is actually the basis. “I write everything starting on piano or guitar... That foundation, especially in country music, is everything,” the artist explained.
She plans to carry this duality into her highly anticipated upcoming LP, which promises to deliver both energetic and introspective tracks. In stark contrast to her previous project, which had no features, her debut will boast a slew of exciting collaborations, yet to be revealed. “People are gonna be shocked,” she said, emphasizing that her fans will become more connected to her than ever before. “I'm going to be addressing the inside of me and what has made me this way and gotten me to where I am as well as the outside of me and how my exterior is presented to the world.”
Adell aptly describes her last project, Buckle Bunny, as a mixtape, since it features a blend of country, pop and Hip Hop influences, showcasing her ability to seamlessly transition between genres. Tracks like “Bake It” and “Trailer Park Barbie” will pleasantly surprise you, proving she can rap as well as anyone on XXL’s Freshman List. When asked about the albums that inspire her to lean into the more contemporary side of her music, she cited Frank Ocean’s Blonde; Tyler, The Creator’s Flower Boy; and Taylor Swift’s 1989 as pivotal to her artistic evolution. Adell’s appreciation for “really great storytellers and world builders” who push creative boundaries and capture the zeitgeist is evident in her own work.
When it comes to translating her musical identity into visuals and fashion sense, Adell embraces an aesthetic that is as eclectic and dynamic as her sound. “It's not just about the music, it’s about how I want to be represented aesthetically,” she enthused, discussing how her style choices reflect her artistic persona. She acknowledged the frequent comparisons she gets: “So many people have said I’m like a country Beyoncé.” She laughed, recalling a recent incident where Azealia Banks discussed her on Instagram. “One day my phone was blowing up. People were sending me her Story, and I thought, ‘Oh no, what did she say?’” Adell remembered, but to her relief, the news was positive. “She said she discovered me off the Beyoncé album and called me her ‘Black Taylor Swift.’ I was like okay, there it is!”
This blend of Beyoncé’s ferocity and Swift’s whimsy is a perfect metaphor for Adell’s approach to her craft. “I love fairies, unicorns, and all the magic,” she explained. “But I also think there’s such a unique strength as a Black woman... Take both of those worlds and combine them, and I feel like that's definitely me.” Comparisons to these powerhouses — though high praise — can feel daunting. The singer takes it in stride. “It’s a good place to live,” she laughed.
Beyond genre-blending, Adell’s music also reflects her personal journey and exploration of identity. Her song “Strawberry Crush” delves into themes of self-discovery. “[It is] the moment before you dive into your sexuality, like having a crush on someone and hiding in the grocery store because you see this beautiful girl,” she explained. The record captures the innocence and complexity of exploring one’s feelings so cleverly that you may have missed it if you weren’t paying close enough attention.
As a newly independent artist, her recent distribution deal with Love Renaissance, a label predominantly known for its R&B roster including 6LACK and Summer Walker, marked yet another significant milestone. As the first country artist to join LVRN, the entertainer’s decision was driven by synergy. “It was just such an alignment of goals,” she explained. The singer felt the label’s fearless approach to supporting her unique brand exemplified their confidence in her ability to break new ground. “They presented me with a plan that aligned so well with who I am as a person,” Adell added. Having departed Columbia Records in February, she emphasized the importance of finding a label that understands and supports her artistic vision.
As the rising star reflected on her journey, she stressed surrounding oneself with supportive, like-minded individuals. “Show me your friends and I'll show you your future,” she advised. This principle has guided her through both personal and professional challenges, reinforcing the value of genuine connections and mutual encouragement.
A trailblazer with her eyes fixed on the future, Adell teased an upcoming project that fans have eagerly anticipated for two years while keeping the details under wraps. “It’s themed, and people have been asking for it for a long time,” she revealed with a hint of excitement. Expanding her horizons, the "Whiskey Blues” creator harbors a desire to break into acting, particularly with the ambition to portray a biracial Disney princess. “I will compose the soundtrack. I will write the songs, honey! I will voice act this princess,” she declared with conviction.
Adell’s drive to leave a lasting impact extends beyond her career. “My little brother had a heart transplant when he was 7 and so I've done a lot of ambassador work for the Children's Hospital of Los Angeles,” she revealed. Fueled by these experiences, her philanthropic aspirations include launching her own foundation. She envisions a legacy that transcends the arts, aiming to support various causes ranging from children with serious health conditions to global educational initiatives. “Whether I have kids or not, this is what legacy means to me — helping others,” she shared.
Her story is one of fate, fierce determination and hard-earned success. Though we can’t control how or when we arrive on Earth, we can choose what to do with our time here. “I don't know how in the history of the world that it ended up being me, but I'm here and I'm ready to keep going,” she said, echoing the resolve of the heroines she once admired. With every song she writes and stage she conquers, the star inspires everyone to craft their own story and chase their dreams. As Adell embarks on her next chapter, her fans get to witness the magic unfold. Her story serves as a testament to the power of human potential — a reminder that anything is possible when we dare to believe”.
I am going to finish up with an interview from GRAMMY. Maybe not as known in the U.K. as she is in the U.S., I do hope radio stations here give her most exposure and time. This is an artist who is going to have a massive future:
"As one of the only Black girls in the country music scene, I hope Bey decides to sprinkle me with a dash of her magic for a collab," she wrote, minutes after Beyoncé premiered "TEXAS HOLD 'EM" and "16 CARRIAGES" during this year's Super Bowl in February.
At first, Adell was mocked for her pitch. "You're trying too hard, love," one user said. Another chimed in, "Baby, that album is finished with all the songs cleared. I don't know about this one. Maybe, open for the tour," another user remarked.
But she wasn't bothered by the chatter: "Those people said I look desperate, I'm like, 'You must not know me, b—!" Adell reveals to GRAMMY.com with a hearty laugh.
Confidence is the inner core of the Tanner Adell ethos. And her boldness paid off because shortly after when Beyoncé approached her to feature on COWBOY CARTER.
In Adell's first music release of 2024, she appeared alongside Brittney Spencer, Tiera Kennedy, and Reyna Roberts in Beyoncé's cover of "BLACKBIIRD" by The Beatles. It was a full-circle moment for Adell in more ways than one, as her father used to sing the song to her as a child. Little did she know, decades later, she would popularize the track's backstory — the plight of Black women in the American South — alongside one of her heroes.
But before Adell became one of Beyoncé's songbirds, she was also the Buckle Bunny. On the 11-track mixtape, Adell traced the provocative tales of an acrylic nail-wearing, lasso-wielding heartbreaker. But for every Black girl that listens, it's more than a country project. It's also a reminder that it's okay to be feminine and girly, just like Shania Twain, Carrie Underwood or Taylor Swift.
Among her rodeo of exciting firsts, Adell tacks another on June 8, when she makes her debut at Nashville's Nissan Stadium during CMA Fest. She'll perform on the Platform Stage at the stadium; the next day, she'll play a set at the Good Molecules Reverb Stage outside of Bridgestone Arena.
Below, hear from Adell about her most memorable firsts thus far, from having her debut daytime television performance on "The Jennifer Hudson Show" to bonding with Gayle King behind the scenes at Stagecoach Music Festival.
Seeing Her Breakthrough Single, "Buckle Bunny," Have A Second Life
I released "Buckle Bunny" on the Buckle Bunny EP in July 2023. I actually teased it on social media first. Almost nine months before that, I had gone super viral with it. It was doing incredibly well, so my plans were to release it in January or February of last year. But, I ended up signing a record deal in December of 2022. There were plans for it at that time, but the timeline kept getting pushed back. It turned into a fight to get that song back into my hands, which was what prompted me to go independent. Eventually, I was able to work with my label, shake hands, and mutually part ways.
I started this year as an independent artist with this song that everybody loves. It's become a huge part of my brand, but it's really my life story. People might think it's a dumb song that was easy to write, but I was called a "buckle bunny." As a teenager growing up between Los Angeles and Star Valley, Wyoming, I was into glam country, and "Buckle Bunny" is the pinnacle of that.
"Buckle Bunny" was my first single that charted. I felt like I finally had broken through that invisible box that Nashville put me in as a country musician. It was me saying, I'm not going to follow any rules. I'm going to be as true to myself as possible.
We, as Black women, have been fighting our whole lives. We've been fighting for space. I'm purposely trying to bring softness into the picture, allowing women who listen to my music to know that it's okay to feel that way. We don't always have to have our walls up.
"Buckle Bunny" is aggressively confident, but I think that's the door to softness. You have to be self-assured to let your walls down. My newest single, "Whiskey Blues," is my next step into that. I have another song on my social media, "Snakeskin," that people want me to release. "Buckle Bunny" is like the girl who protects those softer moments.
In a way, I look at all of this as a relationship between Tanner Adell, the artist, and Tanner, the person. For me, Tanner Adell is the buckle bunny. Then, you have Tanner, who's on the inside, writing all of these songs”.
If you have not heard of Tanner Adell then make sure you correct that. No doubt an artist who is going to be a massive name very soon (many say she is already), this is an influential role model who has produced some of the most distinct and phenomenal music of recent times. A magnificent artist, we are going to hear her name said loud…
FOR years more.
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