Gabby Barrett has a lot to celebrate — and there will be pizza, Netflix and dessert involved!
The 20-year-old singer released her highly anticipated debut album, Goldmine, on Friday.
“It’s definitely emotional,” the American Idol alum exclusively tells 360aproko. “It’s exciting mostly, but it also makes me feel so blessed and grateful for the journey that brought me to this place. I’m getting to put my music out into the world the way that I envisioned and hoped it would be when I was little, and that is a total dream come true.”
Hot on the heels of her historic No. 1 debut at Country radio for her single, “I Hope,” Barrett says this album represents who she is an as “artist/person in every way to this point.”
“You can’t redo your debut album, so I wanted this project to be one that I would be very proud to look back on,” she says.
‘American Idol’ Alum Gabby Barrett: Behind the Scenes of ‘I Hope’ (Exclusive)
The 13-track collection varies from “Country and R&B to Christian and Pop influence,” even featuring a collaboration with Charlie Puth for a second version of “I Hope.”
“It also touches on my faith, which is a huge part of my life, falling in love with my husband, Cade, and working hard to achieve dreams,” the ACM New Female Artist of the Year nominee adds.
In fact, much of Goldmine was inspired by Barrett’s real-life romance with fellow American Idol alum Cade Foehner. The couple, who met while contestants on the show in 2018, tied the knot in a Texas ceremony on Oct. 5, 2019, after getting engaged earlier that year in March.
“Cade was a huge part of my album inspiration as well as a part of making the album,” Barrett says. “He cut guitar solos/parts all throughout so it’s made this project all the more special getting to do this with him. I’ve been writing for the past two years, so our love story kind of unfolded while the album did, and you’ll definitely hear that on songs like ‘Hall of Fame’ and my new single, ‘The Good Ones.'”
In January, Barrett opened up to 360aproko about married life. “He’s my sweetie and I definitely think he was made for me,” she gushed of her new hubby. “He’s the best.”
Even though the two have only been married for less than a year, the country singer is totally used to being a wife.
“From a young age, I was never into going out and partying,” Barrett says. “I was always a homebody who wanted to be somebody’s wife. I really loved that idea of a wonderful marriage, so finding him was perfect to me.”
The couple, who recently relocated to Nashville, has spent a lot of quality time together during the coronavirus pandemic both at home in Tennessee as well as East Texas with Foehner’s family.
“Quarantine has been really good for us on a personal level and for our marriage,” she says. “Being able to take time together to slow down and soak in everything that’s happened over the last year or two has been wonderful. I’m grateful every day that he’s my partner in life.”
The two are enjoying life as newlyweds, which does include keeping up with the show that brought them together.
“Idol was such an amazing journey and definitely a highlight and an asset in my life I’ll always look back on and tell my kids about,” the singer also shared with 360aproko back in January.
Barrett, who finished in third place on the show, also has some words of wisdom for any future contestants.
“I would say no matter how prepared you think you are for something, be ready to be challenged on something too,” she says. “There were a lot of challenges I had to face on American Idol that helped me grow in a few different ways that I’ll take forever with my career. You’re going to get challenged on something at some point.”
