Tanner Adell on delving into her past with ‘Going Blonde’ and lending her voice to Beyoncé’s ‘Cowboy Carter’

Rising country star Tanner Adell has discussed tackling deep personal issues on her latest song ‘Going Blonde’, as well as lending her voice to Beyoncé‘s Cowboy Carter.

The 24-year-old US star played the UK’s C2C festival earlier this month before releasing the new single, which digs into the impact of Adell’s adoption at birth.

When delving into her biological family, Adell discovered that she has a biological brother, but heartbreaking her birth mother had died. It meant that the one single memento she holds of her is a photo which reveals her mother’s striking blonde hair and blue-eyes – leading Adell to liken her to Dolly Parton.

“I’ve only heard stories, only seen pictures, but she’s safe in my mind, and until I meet her,” Adell sings on the emotional track.

“With ‘Going Blonde’, I’m hoping it will offer a bit more insight into who I am and connect me with my fans, but also to bring light to situations like mine,” she told Rolling Stone UK.

“Adoption happens all over the world. It’s funny, I had a photo shoot just a few days ago and my stylist told me she was fostered and had just found her sister. I find connections with people in so many weird ways, but I get reminded when I have pictures of my mom when she was little and pictures of her as an adult, and I really get reminded that this is also a legacy that I think she is leaving behind through me.”

She added: “A lot of artists say this about certain songs, but I really wrote it for myself. I didn’t know if it would ever be something that I shared with other people. I’ve only played it a few times in a few small rooms but it’s really connected with people and that was when I felt like this song is bigger than just a healing expression for myself.”

Although Adell is a newcomer, it’s more than likely you may have heard her on Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter last year, where she leant her vocals to the opening track Ameriican Requiem and the singer’s striking cover of The Beatles‘ Blackbird.

“That whole experience has been magical,” she reflects. “I’ve learned so much and in the last few year I’ve seen my fans grow. I call my fans Buckle Bunnies but there’s now the second generation Buckle Bunnies, which are the Beyoncé Buckle Bunnies. There’s fans that didn’t know me but found me through Beyoncé. I went on my first headline tour last fall and it sold out in minutes. It’s incredible to see that kind of community and love and energy.”

And after winning over crowds in Glasgow and London at C2C Festival, she’s hoping to build on the momentum and bring her country energy to the UK for good.

“I’ll be back for shows in Dublin and Glasgow for TRNSMT,” she explains. “Touring is my favourite part of all this, so I’m hoping to have a leg of my tour that can reach beyond US soil.”