Gabby Barrett, excited for her NKY show, talks new music, Post Malone, more

Country music star Gabby Barrett has spent the last six years growing up in front of her fans.

After starring on "American Idol" in 2018, she has since become one of the biggest success stories in the recent years of the show. Her song "I Hope" is certified eight-times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. "The Good Ones" is four-times platinum.

"I think on 'Idol' I went into it, I loved country music; I loved R&B music as well, so I was doing a lot of figuring out during that time," Barrett told The Enquirer. "I knew that I loved country, but I don't think I had my particular sound down yet. I also did not know how to really write songs at the time."

The 24-year-old, who is headlining the Merchants & Music Festival in Fort Thomas Sept. 28, certainly knows her sound now. She also understands the songwriting process.

Barrett released her second studio album, "Chapter & Verse," in February, which she co-produced in full for the first time. She also co-wrote nine of the 14 songs.

"In the beginning of writing songs or even the end honestly, leaving the writing sessions, you never know what's going to make the record and what you're actually going to cut," she said.

"It's a really neat feeling to have everybody be able to relate to a piece of your story because it's a piece of their story as well."

'It's a little bit of a circus'

Part of Barrett's personal story over the past few years involves becoming a mother. She and her husband, fellow "American Idol" alum Cade Foehner, welcomed their third child , Ivy, earlier this year. They also have a 3-year-old, Baylah, and an almost 2-year-old named Augustine.

Barrett has been open about the hectic, yet rewarding, experience of touring with her family, showing fans glimpses into her life on social media .

That, however, doesn't even touch the surface. Barrett says she often wakes up in the middle of the night with her 7-month-old, and sometimes with her other two children due to the bumpy tour bus rides.

"It's a little bit of a circus; we look a little crazy at times, but it's so worth it," she said. "Getting to bring all my kids with me to work – I know that's a dream for so many people. ... It's very real. It's very mom, real life on the bus, and then we wake up and do a show the next day."

Working with powerhouse country music stars

The single on Barrett's album, “Dance Like No One’s Watching," was one of the few tracks she didn't write.

Country music superstar Luke Combs, who performed two massive shows at Paycor Stadium in August, co-wrote the song, which touches on a father's love and the wisdom a parent passes down to a child. He sent it to Barrett, and she says she fell in love with it on her first listen.

"I listened to it, and the first verse and chorus, I just fell in love with everything," she said. "I'm such a melodic person, so I love when wording and melody just feel really good; I just go off a lot of feeling when it comes to writing."

Barrett said Combs was busy touring when she recorded the song, but he still took time to put his background vocals on the track, which is a strong complement to her voice.

Barrett also co-wrote a song with the legendary Miranda Lambert called "You're My Texas." She says she went into the writing session wondering what the two would have in common to write about, and that Texas almost immediately came to mind.

Barrett and her family live half the year in Texas, the other half in Tennessee, and Lambert grew up around the same area of the Lone Star State.

"She was just so nice; so down to earth," Barrett said. "You would never guess that she was like the Miranda Lambert based off of just how down to earth she was, which I appreciated because I've met so many A-list kind of celebrities, and that has not been the case. So I appreciate it so much more when they actually are down to earth and just nice human beings."

On Post Malone: 'He just seems like a really solid guy'

Since Barrett's arrival in the world of country music, the genre has begun to change. Artists like Beyoncé and Post Malone, who aren't traditionally country, have come out with country albums.

Barrett says she thinks it's neat what music genres are doing right now.

"Some people are for it and some people are not for it, just like the mixing of the genres," she said. "How it's not so straight down the lane like 'This is country. This is R&B. This is pop. This is rap.' People are dipping their toes into different places a little bit, mixing it up. And I think it's so cool."

Malone's album, "F-1 Trillion" released Aug. 16, and it has been well received, sitting at No. 1 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart for five weeks. He collaborated with multiple legends on it, including Combs, Tim McGraw, Dolly Parton, Hank Williams Jr., Blake Shelton, Brad Paisley and Chris Stapleton.

"I think a lot of the country community is embracing him, and he just seems like a really solid guy," Barrett said. "I personally liked a lot of his stuff that he is doing and has done."

Excited for the Merchants & Music Festival

Barrett, originally from the Pittsburgh area, isn't too familiar with Greater Cincinnati but says she's excited to venture up to the region. And, upon recommendation, seems open to trying the chili.

But on stage, what can fans expect to see at the Fort Thomas show?

"They can expect a fun time, hopefully," Barrett said. "This year has been really fun ... kind of refreshing for me as well just because the past several years we played so many songs from my first album, 'Goldmine,' and so releasing a new album this year in February, it's been so much fun to switch up the set."

"It's fun playing the new songs and seeing everybody sing along to those and playing the fan favorites as well. I think it's a fun time to look forward to."

The Merchants & Music Festival, which is free to attend, starts at 5 p.m. Sept. 28 at Tower Park Amphitheater in Fort Thomas. Barrett's show starts at 9 p.m.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Gabby Barrett, excited for her NKY show, talks new music, Post Malone, more