Danielle Bradbery Is Peeling Back Personal Layers With New Music

Danielle Bradbery has lived lot of life since winning The Voice at 16 years old. Now 23, she's ready to translate this stage of her life into vulnerable and authentic songs.

Bradbery’s sophomore album, 2017's I Don’t Believe We’ve Met, features quite a bit of heartbreak, but her newest radio single, "Never Have I Ever," has her pivoting to a whole other season of love. The contemporary pop-country number doesn’t shy from the unguarded nature and raw, honest emotions of fully falling in love; as Bradbery puts it, she's “get[ting] a little bit brave” with each new song she releases.

“I have gotten to be single, gotten to focus on myself, and then unexpectedly met somebody else, and that’s how 'Never Have I Ever' came into play,” Bradbery recently recounted during a media event. Thanks to this healthy, budding relationship, she's in a good place now, which is allowing her to open up in her music in new ways.

"'Never Have I Ever' is one of my more braver songs. It’s definitely a little bit more sexy," the singer notes. “It’s a little bit more vulnerable, and I’m always going to continue that side of me.”

In keeping with her desire to peel back her metaphorical layers, Bradbery knew she wanted to craft a "Never Have I Ever" music video that mirrors her transparent demeanor. While spending the beginning of the novel coronavirus quarantine with her family in Texas, the singer realized the location of the clip was a no-brainer: It needed to be shot in her home state.

Bradbery drove three hours to shoot the video in Austin, with intricate planning required to keep everyone safe from COVID-19 while not sacrificing any creative aspects.

"There was about five people. Usually there is a few more than that," Bradbery shares of the shoot. "Everyone had masks on. Everyone had gloves on. We were super, super strict about just everything."

Because she was shooting in her home state, the video became a family affair: “My mom was my glam girl. She is a hairdresser, so it worked out perfectly. No one I don’t think does it better than mama,” Bradbery shares.

Although she hesitant about what the final product would look like — and if her emotions could be properly conveyed given the virus-imposed limitations — Bradbery admits she was pleasantly surprised. "It was a very special, unique, crazy time," she reflects, "but we did it and I’m very proud of what came out of it."

Bradbery isn't exactly sure when her third album will be out, but she does know what fans can expect from it: "A little bit more of the taste of music I’m in to."

"It’s still going to be country — my heart’s always going to be country — but I’m going to try to sprinkle in a little bit of R&B instead of, like, the pop-country,” the singer explains. “I feel like R&B has been in country longer than a lot of people realize ..."

“It’s going to be a fun group of songs, and I’m really excited. I am definitely peeling off that 'next layer,'" she says. “A little bit more confident. A little bit more sexy, but classy at the same time.”

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