That was almost the case for “American Idol” alum Gabby Barrett.
“It was actually really hard,” she admitted in 2020.
In another interview withThe Boot, Barrett alluded to a potential reason for the challenges.
“‘Idol’ is a platform that you come off of singing cover songs,” the hitmaker explained.
“Labels and people didn’t know if I could write original music or anything.”
She turned to fellow “American Idol” alum Carrie Underwood for advice.
The “Before He Cheats” siren shared some tips.
“So I was like, ‘Ok, I wanna do that.
Let’s do that.'”
Barrett’s hard work paid off when she released her breakout single “I Hope.”
The surprisingly biting breakup anthem arrived in early 2019 as an independent release.
The song resonated with fans new and old, and attracted label attention.
Eventually, Barrett signed with Warner Music Nashville.
She toldBillboardthat it was the perfect match for a variety of reasons.
“So I thought I could fit in there perfectly.”
With the label’s help, the song continued to grow in popularity.
“They saw how ‘I Hope’ was affecting people and streaming.
They instantly sent me out to meet with radio [stations] and get the song on the radio.
They acted fast while the song was rolling.”
“I Hope” made history on Billboard’s various charts.
It topped the Country Airplay Chart, Adult Pop Songs, and Radio Songs charts, hit the No.
That was thanks in part to a remix of the original song featuring Charlie Puth.
Gabby Barrett shared details about how the duet came together via Instagram DMs in an interview withVariety.
She also opened up about how the updated version gave the song extra life.
“We have a new version of the song, which reaches an even broader audience of people.
It’s been doing really good at pop radio, so it’s been amazing,” she enthused.
Of course, “I Hope” wasn’t the end of Barrett’s story.
Her debut album “Goldmine” peaked at No.
All things considered, her career is off to a fantastic start despite some initial challenges!
