Bailey Bryan

Bailey Bryan distinguishes herself among pop singer-songwriters through intricate wordplay and a throaty vocal timbre, shaped by R&B, hip-hop, and country. Acoustic textures marked her initial output, such as the 2017 single "Own It," while later projects including the 2019 Perspective EP and 2020 releases "play w/ me" and "Roster" delivered sleek, modern pop comparable to Post Malone, Kehlani, and Ella Mai. On her debut full-length album Fresh Start from 2021, she emphasized her R&B influences more directly.

Born in Sequim, Washington, during 1998, Bryan cultivated an early passion for music that led her to perform in church at age seven and begin composing original songs at twelve. Music publisher Becki Devries discovered her and later served as a mentor; at fifteen, Bryan attended a songwriting workshop led by Devries, who recognized her talent as both a writer and vocalist. Soon afterward, Bryan shared online videos featuring her own material along with covers of pop and country songs.

At eighteen she relocated to Nashville and secured a publishing agreement with Warner Music Nashville, followed by a recording contract with 300 Entertainment. Her first single, "Own It," arrived in September 2016 and entered the Billboard Country Airplay Chart at number 60. Several months later, Lady A's Hillary Scott selected her as a Grammys Artist of Tomorrow. The debut EP So Far, containing "Own It," surfaced in April 2017, and an acoustic rendition of Drake's "Too Good" appeared that October. Additional tracks followed over the ensuing years, among them November 2018's "Songbird," a May 2019 version of Drake's "One Dance" featuring Kyla (the source artist sampled on the original), and the October 2019 Perspective EP, which showcased some of her most pop-focused material.

Bryan's direction shifted further toward pop and R&B in 2020. The June single "play w/ me," crafted by production duo Monsters & Strangerz, took cues from Destiny's Child and TLC. She followed in September with the equally refined "Roster." Both songs appeared on the 2021 album Fresh Start.