Country Update BILLBOARD.COM/NEWSLETTERS JUNE 15, 2020 | PAGE 1 OF 19 INSIDE BILLBOARD COUNTRY UPDATE [email protected] Pearce, Brice: Gabby Barrett’s Goldmine Represents ‘Happy Now’ >page 4 A Deep Well Of Rich Artistic Possibilities Dokke To Nine songs into Gabby Barrett’s debut album, Goldmine, the chart dated April 25, making her only the third solo female Play It Again end of the chorus in “Hall of Fame” reveals an unexpected to accomplish that feat with their first country-marketed >page 10 nugget: a high-pitched trill-like vocal sound that has all the single since Carrie Underwood did it with “Jesus, Take the other-worldly qualities of Mariah Carey’s “Emotions.” Wheel” in 2006. The RIAA has certified the song platinum, That moment, and the fact that Barrett and it includes a dark instrumental texture let 25 minutes pass before employing it in that’s purposely mimicked in her follow-up Americanas Cite the album, says several things about her: single, “The Good Ones.” Tucker, Carlile • She brings a phenomenal range to Barrett, as those Carey-like tones sug- >page 11 her craft. gest, has the talent for her new job, but she • She has listened to some of pop music’s also has the determination to stand out at classic singers. a business level from the pack. She already • She’s mature enough — and confident had spent six years performing live in and ABC’s No-Fest enough — to employ that part of her skill around her native Pittsburgh before she was CMA Fest Special set judiciously, rather than turning it into introduced nationally in the 2018 season >page 11 a gimmick. of ABC’s American Idol. She finished third, In the process, Barrett uses those cre- but her pre-Idol experience made her aware ative attributes in a way that assists her that coasting after the season ended would Makin’ Tracks: marketing needs, branding her as a unique be a mistake. Underwood, who won Idol in Canaan Smith’s talent in her chosen genre. 2005, confirmed that belief. ‘Colder’ Burns “I’m always looking to find things that “I said, ‘How do I keep this momentum >page 16 are different in country music,” she says. going after Idol?’ ” recalls Barrett. “And she “Nobody has done Mariah Carey whistle- said, ‘You just got to work hard.’ She said on tone notes in country music that I’ve days that she barely had off, she would fly heard of, and if you’re capable of doing it, and she would write and record. She would BARRETT Country Coda: you might as well add it in. I always look do all of that, and it eventually paid off for Chad Brock? ‘Yes!’ for things to differentiate [myself] from her. And I agree 100%.” >page 19 the crowd.” However, as a 2005 winner, Underwood had a recording deal Goldmine, due June 19 via Warner Music Nashville (WMN), waiting for her. Barrett, as a 2018 second runner-up, did not. already benefits from some marketplace differentiation. And when Red Light Management head of marketing Tom Lord Barrett’s lead single, “I Hope,” hit No. 1 on the Country Airplay made Nashville labels aware that his company was representing KLEIN ROBBY BILLBOARD COUNTRY UPDATE JUNE 15, 2020 | PAGE 2 OF 19 her, none of them called. Barrett, while on the American Idol Live tour, wanted to change that scenario quickly, and Lord told her — skeptical that she would follow such a difficult path — that she could fly to Nashville on her off days, write new material and fly back out. She followed his advice, and — despite fatigue and jet lag — cowrote “Rose Needs a Jack,” a Titanic-inspired song that eventually made Goldmine, on that first trip. Her determination “gave me this rocket-fuel boost,” says Lord, and he helped her book an insane in-and-out schedule throughout the tour that grew her base of original material and built her reputation in Nashville’s Brad Paisley (left) checked in after shipping beer to Pittsford, N.Y., creative community. buddies Benjamin Smith (center) and Marcus Smith when the friends Zachary Kale, who coproduced Goldmine and cowrote “I Hope,” was si- did their part to combat racism by asking passersby to stop for a drink multaneously impressed and taken aback the first day they worked together and conversation in a driveway. when she told him she hoped to pattern herself after Whitney Houston with a tinge of Dolly Parton. He quickly learned to trust her ambition. “I’m more than stoked to be a part of anything Gabby does,” says Kale. “From day one of writing with her, I [thought she was] a star.” “I Hope,” of course, broke her out as an artist, though its vengeful attitude is not dominant in Goldmine. The album concentrates instead on themes that have been central to her world the last few years. That includes her faith — raised Catholic, she adopted a Protestant doctrine in the last two years — and her romance and eventual marriage to fellow Idol contestant Cade Foehner, who inspired current single “The Good Ones” and plays guitar on several tracks, including “Footprints on the Moon.” That song draws on Barrett’s in- nate determination — “You can do anything, anything you want to” — which helped her keep her eye on the music prize, even as a youngster when, like Parton, classmates scoffed at her ambitions. “I’ve always tried from a very young age to be positive,” says Barrett. “I thought it was fitting — this being an album that’s completely about me, as much as I can get in it in 13 songs — that I put an encouraging song on there New Curb artist Hannah Ellis played music for Billboard Nashville and for people out there that may be going through the same things I did.” Nielsen/MRC staff in a June 11 virtual office visit. Clockwise from top That is what makes Goldmine an apt title: Barrett may have struck a gold- left: Billboard Country Update editor Tom Roland, Curb | Word director mine in her career choice, while WMN may have tapped into one by signing of publicity Jessie Lowe, guitarist Kevin Monahan and Ellis, and Nielsen her. Her school experience developed her insistent self-belief, the six years director of client solutions John Murphy. of performing locally in Pittsburgh gave her insight into her offstage work ethic, Idol gave her exposure, and her willingness to listen to mentors, includ- ing Underwood and Lord, gave her the drive to convert that TV opportunity into a budding career. Meanwhile, using the Carey-like whistle tone helps establish a unique place for her in the country universe, though employing it in moderation means she has left plenty of room to grow by using the assets in her creative toolbox in other ways. “There’s a happy medium to everything, even with powerhouse singers,” she says. “You don’t have to belt it out all the time. You don’t have to overuse something.” Indie artist Allie Colleen (left) joined WOLF Syracuse, N.Y., hosts Deb It’s an uncommonly mature outlook from such a new artist. And a sign that Lamphear and Skip Clark on an episode of the Skip Happens podcast this Goldmine may be a mother lode. released June 10. BILLBOARD COUNTRY UPDATE JUNE 15, 2020 | PAGE 4 OF 19 ON THE CHARTS JIM ASKER [email protected] ‘Happy’ Ending: Carly Pearce And Lee Brice Complete Trip To No. 1 On Country Airplay Carly Pearce and Lee Brice’s “I Hope You’re Happy Now” (Curb/Big Machine) data, “Happy” ranks at No. 6 after reaching No. 5 on the June 13 dated chart. rises 3-1 in its 36th week on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart dated June 20. It collected 7.4 million U.S. streams and sold 4,000 downloads in the week In the frame ending June 14, the duet increased by 11% to 30 million audi- ending June 11. ence impressions, according to Nielsen Music/MRC Data. Meanwhile, Brice’s solo single “One of Them Girls” (Curb) pushes 31-30 on Pearce penned the song with Luke Country Airplay, up 16% to 4.3 million in Combs, Randy Montana and Jonathan radio reach. It drew 4.9 million streams and Singleton. “Happy” marks her second sold 3,000 in the tracking week and ranks Country Airplay leader, after her debut hit at No. 26 on Hot Country Songs. as a lead artist, “Every Little Thing,” led for a week in November 2017. Brice banks ‘HEARTLESS’ HITS TOP 10 Diplo’s his sixth No. 1 and second in a row, follow- “Heartless,” featuring Morgan Wallen ing “Rumor,” which reigned for a week in (Mad Decent/Columbia), spends its first July 2019. week in the Hot Country Songs top 10, at “Seeing this song go to No. 1 feels even No. 10. The song attracted 11.8 million sweeter than the first time,” Pearce told streams in the tracking week and ranks at Billboard after hearing the news of her latest No. 2 on Country Streaming Songs. With coronation. “I feel so very grateful to have 3,000 sold, it places at No. 18 on Country had the opportunity to work with someone Digital Song Sales. BRICE (left) and PEARCE as talented as Lee, and I will always hold “Heartless” is the first Hot Country Songs this song so dear to my heart.” top 10 for DJ-producer-songwriter Diplo, Brice concurred, saying, “I am still so humbled that Carly asked me to be a while Wallen adds his fourth.