The 'American Idol' alum becomes the next big thing in country music as she breaks glass ceilings with her searing breakup anthem 'I Hope' and debut album 'Goldmine'.
- August 3, 2020
AceShowbiz - Is Gabby Barrett the next Carrie Underwood? Just like the "Cowboy Casanova" singer, Gabby is an "American Idol" alum. She dominated Billboard Hot Country Songs, becoming the first female to top the chart with a debut solo single since Carrie ruled with "Jesus, Take the Wheel" in 2006.
Gabby also topped the Country Streaming Songs, making her the first woman to reach the pinnacle on the chart with her debut single. She additionally hit the summit on Billboard Country Airplay while climbing up Billboard Hot 100 and reaching the top 20.
Gabby's debut hit "I Hope" is an addictive breakup anthem with a plot twist that was easily embraced by many fans. If people listened closely, they could hear a bit of Carrie Underwood vibes to it too. Since released in July 2019, the single has since been certified double platinum in the United States.
Gabby considered Carrie her mentor and often asked the Grammy winner for advice during her time on the singing competition. "She talked about how really hard work gets it going - that you have to be willing to work really hard," Gabby said. "so I was like, 'Okay, I wanna do that. Let's do that.' "
While Carrie was immediately signed to a major label after her "Idol" win, Gabby was repeatedly turned down when she tried to land a record deal following her third-place finish on the talent show. The rejections only fueled her hard work as she continued networking and hustling in the studio.
Gabby released "I Hope" independently. As the single became a hit, she found a home at Warner Nashville and went on to release her debut album "Goldmine" which peaked at No. 4 on Billboard Country Albums. She also collaborated with Charlie Puth on the remix of her hit single, offering a tale of a breakup from both sides.
While enjoying the success of her breakup song, the 20-year-old singer continued to make impressive achievements as she scored the most first-week debut album streams for any Country act in history, exceeding any other debut Country album ever with first day streams on Amazon Music globally.
With such grand feats, it's no wonder she was deemed one of the best newcomers in country music. She's nominated for New Female Artist of the Year at this year's Academy of Country Music (ACM) Awards.
