Cassadee Pope commands the stage with a potent delivery that merges anthemic emo and pop-punk textures with country traditions. After capturing the third-season title on NBC’s The Voice, she first gained attention as frontwoman of the band Hey Monday. Her opening solo release, 2013’s Frame by Frame, topped the country albums chart and reached the pop Top Ten, driven largely by the number-five country single “Wasting All These Tears.” The 2016 Chris Young duet “Think of You” ascended to number one on country airplay and received gold certification. Her next album, Stages, appeared in 2019 and again landed inside the Top 40 of the country chart. On 2021’s Thrive she shifted back toward rock, then leaned further into her pop-punk foundation with the 2023 singles “Coma” and “Wasting All These Tears (Cassadee’s Version).”
Born in West Palm Beach, Florida, in 1989, Pope began singing during middle school. In 2008 she formed the punk-pop outfit Hey Monday with guitarist Mike Gentile, and the group issued its debut album Hold on Tight. EPs followed in 2010 and 2011 while the band opened for Fall Out Boy and Yellowcard and joined the Vans Warped Tour.
Pope exited Hey Monday in 2012 to launch a solo career and soon auditioned successfully for The Voice. She joined Blake Shelton’s team and ultimately won the competition over teammate Terry McDermott. After signing with Universal Music Group she completed Frame by Frame, released in October 2013 and led by her debut single “Wasting All These Tears.” Extensive touring followed, including opening slots for Tim McGraw and Dierks Bentley throughout much of 2014. The single “I Am Invincible” surfaced the next year, followed in January 2016 by the Chris Young duet “Think of You,” which reached number one on country airplay and earned gold status. That June she issued the four-song EP Summer.
She subsequently left her label and joined Fusion Music, marking the move with the 2018 single “Take You Home.” The same year she returned to The Voice as an advisor for Kelly Clarkson’s team. Her second studio album, the Corey Crowder-produced Stages, arrived in February 2019 and featured both “Take You Home” and “If My Heart Had a Heart,” ultimately peaking at number 39 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart. The all-acoustic Rise and Shine appeared in June 2020.
Pope’s third studio album, Thrive, arrived in October 2021. Produced by Nickolas Wheeler and Karen Fairchild, the set reflected a renewed rock emphasis through singles such as “What the Stars See” and “Say It First.” Although she bridged her country and rock sides with the 2022 acoustic duet “RSVP” alongside Levi Hummon, she continued the return to rock with the 2023 anthemic track “People That I Love” featuring Jax. Pointing toward a fourth album, she released additional pop-punk-infused singles that year, including “Coma” with Taylor Acorn and “Wasting All These Tears (Cassadee’s Version).”
