Jillian Cardarelli Wrestles With Pain of Heartbreak in New Single

The idea of heartbreak is certainly in the rearview mirror for Jillian Cardarelli at this point of her life, as the country music beauty is still basking in the magic of being a newlywed following her marriage to Brian Parker in May of 2021.

However, she still remembers the pain of unrelenting heartbreak.

“Heartache is a common thread that we all understand,” says Cardarelli during a recent interview with Taste of Country. “It’s okay to feel heartache and wonder what it's going to take to get over someone. I'm a big believer that time heals all wounds.”

It’s this idea that she infused into her new single “What’s It Gonna Take,” whose lyric video premieres exclusively via Taste of Country.

“This is such a statement, powerhouse song that I knew I had to record,” says Cardarelli of the song written by Jennifer Fielder and Adam Wood. “This song to me really captures that feeling of being truly heartbroken. There is something about this song that takes the listeners on the journey of desperation to leave the past behind and try to move forward. We all wish we could snap our fingers and make things better, but this song reminds us that what it's going to take is...time.”

“What’s It Gonna Take” appears on Cardarelli’s new self-titled debut EP, a project that had the Massachusetts native working with famed producer Alex Kline.

“(Alex Kline) is such a talent in our industry,” says Cardarelli, who soon plans to be back in the studio recording new music. “She was one of the first people I wrote with when I moved to town. I feel like she really knows who I am as an artist and helped create my sound.”

The EP also includes the powerful song “Strong,” which had Cardarelli collaborating with former Nashville star Charles Esten on a track inspired by her mother’s battle with cancer.

“It’s a song I never actually thought I would release because it’s so personal,” she says quietly of the song she co-wrote alongside Esten. “I hope it can inspire anyone to be strong who is going through a hard time.”

See the Most Played Country Song from the Year You Were Born

Who had the most played country song during the year you were born? This list is a fascinating time capsule of prevalent trends from every decade in American history. Scroll through to find your birth year and then click to listen. Some of these songs have been lost through the years, many of them for good reason!

Men named Hank dominated early before stars like Freddie Hart, Ronnie Milsap, Willie Nelson Clint Black took over to close the 1980s. More recently it's been Tim Mcgraw, Rodney Atkins, Kane Brown and Morgan Wallen. Did the most-played country song from the year you were born become a favorite of yours later? All info comes from Billboard's country airplay charts.