RaeLynn is taking the country music industry by storm as of late. She first came to the scene in 2012 with her single ‘Boyfriend.’ In 2014 she pounced on the charts with her sassy, yet personable hit ‘God Made Girls’ which peaked at #1 on the US Country Digital Songs Billboard and at #7 on the US Hot Country Songs Billboard. Since then, she’s come out with an album, ‘WildHorse,’ that peaked at the #1 US Top Country Album and her extremely resonating single ‘Love Triangle.’ Aside from being an achieving country artist, RaeLynn is much more. Two words come to mind when describing the 23 year old; authentic and advocate. In her recent interview with NECM, she goes in detail about her latest single ‘Love Triangle,’ her tour and more.
‘Love Triangle’ was chosen as the singer-songwriter’s debut single from her album ‘WildHorse’ because it showcases her songwriting and her vulnerability; “I wanted to show that I was a real artist and that I had something to say and that I can be vulnerable with my fans.” With the magnitude of its emotional draw and intimacy; RaeLynn really puts herself on display for her fans – a task that is not always easy to do. However, for her, showing her firsthand experiences is something that aids her in her songwriting; “even though it is hard to sing [‘Love Triangle’] sometimes, you’ll see a fan that it connects to, and I know I cry when I see that. I would rather sing something that’s my story and something that I’ve been through than something that’s not. It helps me. That’s why I love writing my own music because I can relate to my fans better.” She later explained that “is it nerve-wracking to put out a song that is so vulnerable because you think ‘if they don’t like the song, then they won’t like me’ so it’s challenging sometimes.”
‘Love Triangle’ is bringing in major reactions from fans all over. For those who haven’t heard this beautiful single yet, it depicts the story of a child battling the split of its parents. Kids of divorce or separated parents know the emotional warfare that comes along with it; and RaeLynn has experienced it directly. She explains that the triangle is between the two parents and the child; with child always being in the middle of it all whether it’s intended or not. It never is an easy subject to talk about, but RaeLynn brings the raw truth and reality about it to light in this amazing ballad. The success from it “is a dream come true. I had this song in my catalog since I was 18 years old and a part of me never thought it would see the light of day in some ways. To see it out and doing so well and changing people’s lives and the conversation of divorce is amazing. I’m so happy to see it reacting in such a positive way and in a way that’s empowering people.”
‘WildHorse,’ RaeLynn’s debut studio album, has 12 tracks – 11 of which were co-penned by RaeLynn. The album also has features from Leeland Mooring and Dan + Shay. Aside from ‘Love Triangle,’ most songs from the album are personal to her. ‘Say’ and ‘Diamonds’ are two songs that mean a lot to her because they were written about her husband, Josh Davis. ‘Say’ features Dan + Shay and is about knowing your partner loves you regardless of if they tell you everyday. “Josh is a pretty quiet guy, and even though he doesn’t say he loves me all the time or say all those words, I know that he loves me by the way that he acts. And that’s when I had the idea for the lyrics ‘I hear everything that you can’t say.’ With a guy like him, it makes it that much sweeter to hear the words ‘I love you.’” ‘Diamonds’ is the other song written for her husband which portrays the idea that “a diamond is just a diamond until you put it on the right left hand and it’s so true. Engagement ring whether it’s big, small, simple, plastic, it symbolizes a love forever.” Writing about her hubby is one of her favorites things to do because it comes so naturally- “it’s so easy to write about Josh because he is my heart. I can’t imagine what I would do without him.” Co-writing songs for her album was also an easy task for her, along with being so open and putting her heart out for her fans. “Creating is definitely one of the easiest parts for me. I get ideas in a lot of different ways, so that process is definitely not hard for me.”
RaeLynn is also touring on her first headlining tour The RaVe Tour. In her nontraditional route of country music touring, she takes the country concert layout and sets it up as a giant dance party. “This tour is honestly nonstop fun! This whole concept was to create an atmosphere and an experience that nobody has ever felt before or done. And in country music, nobody has ever done a dance party after their show or incorporated a lot of their favorite pop hits into their performance. I just want it to be an experience and I want people to leave the show saying ‘oh my god, that concert was so much fun. I wanna bring a bajillion friends next time.’ I want them to have so much fun that they come back next summer.” Fans can expect RaeLynn dancing along with them because she told NECM that she loves dancing and throwing mini dance parties wherever she may be – which was a huge component of why she wanted to make her tour that way.
Earlier this year, in this past April, RaeLynn had the opportunity to perform at the Tortuga Music Festival in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. It’s safe to say that she loved the experience and will definitely try to make it back there – “oh my god that festival is absolutely amazing! First of all, the idea of playing on the beach was so magical, I can’t get over it. I love that all of the fans can come together and see a lot of great country music. And it’s great for all of us, the artists, to see each other and hear our music live. Most of us are on different tours and schedules so Tortuga and all these different festivals in the summer give us an opportunity to see each other and hangout and appreciate each other. So it’s just really cool.”
Authenticity shines throughout RaeLynn from her music and songwriting, all the way to her tour. She wants to remain true to country music and its roots, but she still wants to expand it and put her own little twist to it. Her southern, raspy twang alone is enough to make head turns because her sound cannot be duplicated. Her dance party themed tour will soon be imitated and her excitement for music and other artists will be highly appreciated.
Alongside being an artist and authentic, she is also an advocate. RaeLynn was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes when she was twelve and the amazing care she received through the Texas Children’s Hospital inspired her to help others struggling with the same diagnosis, so she created the RaeLynn Diabetes Fund. “To be a spokesperson that talks about it and my experience with it and how I handle it with being an artist and always on the road is such a dream come true. I can inspire kids to not be discouraged when they find out that they have diabetes. I know I was so upset when I found out I had Type 1 diabetes, but now I just look at it in a completely different light. And if I can inspire a young girl or a young boy to look at their diabetes in a whole new set of lenses, then I’ve done the right thing.” She also has given back to the Texas Children’s Diabetes Center, the place that diagnosed and took care of her for almost 10 years of her life. “It felt really good to be able to give back to them. They’ve done so much for me.”
RaeLynn’s album ‘WildHorse’ is out now on iTunes and Spotify. Check out her latest single ‘Love Triangle’ and be sure to check up on tour dates for her RaVe Tour happening now. To donate to her diabetes fund, go to her website for more details.