L-R: Nashville Harbor Records & Entertainment’s Ryan Dokke, Big Machine Label Group’s Sandi and Scott Borchetta, Shaylen, Two Hats Music Group’s Andrew Albert and Jordyn Elliott, the Grand Ole Opry’s Samantha Kane and Dan Rogers
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Photo Credit: © Grand Ole Opry, photos by Chris Hollo
NASHVILLE, TN (October 8, 2024) – Rising singer/songwriter Shaylen crossed another major career milestone off her bucket list on Saturday night (10/5) as she made her Grand Ole Opry debut during back-to-back shows. Grand Ole Opry member Chris Young surprised Shaylen and the packed Saturday night crowd by doing the honor of introducing Shaylen to step into the hallowed circle for the first time after inviting her to make her debut last month.
“It’s my honor to be able to stand up here on this stage as a member of the Grand Ole Opry and talk about somebody that I think is absolutely fantastic,” said Young. “She has an amazing voice, [she’s a] great songwriter, great person; y’all make her feel welcome for her very first Grand Ole Opry performance.” Watch a clip of his introduction here.
An emotional Shaylen took to the stage and performed unreleased track “Country Enough,” a rock-tinged, twangy song about the lifelong magnetic pull she’s had to Country music rooted in her southern upbringing. Choking back tears, she got ready to close her set with top-streaming independent release “What If I Don’t,” a vulnerable track written in the “most broken place” she’s ever been in chronicling the tough questions that swirl around your head after a difficult breakup.
“It has been a very long 15 years of chasing this, to step in this circle right now,” Shaylen said to the crowd to thunderous applause. “Right before I got to Nashville almost two years ago, I came out here for the first time to write. I wrote this next song the first day I was here with some amazing songwriters. If you’re chasing a dream, please don’t ever give up.”
Shaylen has always been one to write songs that come straight from her journal, and the Country riser was overcome with emotion seeing one of those “super big” journal dreams come to fruition before her eyes, telling the crowd, “It’s crazy to see journal pieces come to life.”
In an Instagram post made just hours before showtime, Shaylen expressed excitement and gratitude for the career milestone. “I always made lists when I was little till now of dreams I had and there are some I would title ‘SUPER BIG DREAMS’ and this happened to be in that box.” She continued on by sharing, ”His plan is always so much better and bigger than you think it’s gonna be and then you get to a day like this and wish you would have just trusted that all along rather than forcing it to happen your own way and timing.”
This is just the latest goal the standout vocalist has been able to cross out on her journey to stardom. After signing with Nashville Harbor Records & Entertainment earlier this year, Shaylen lent her signature “silky-smooth notes” (Country Now) to “Second Time Around,” her duet with labelmate Noah Hicks, and released “To Tell You The Truth,” which All Country News describes as “a perfect showcase of the singer-songwriter’s ability to channel her personal life into powerful lyrics that resonate universally.” Shaylen is currently in the studio working on her debut project with Nashville Harbor Records & Entertainment.
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ABOUT SHAYLEN: Only Shaylen can write herself into a song. Because the tenacious singer/songwriter draws inspiration from real life experiences for the songs she sings. Following a decade-long stint pursing music in LA, Shaylen returned to her home state of Tennessee in 2022 to take a leap of faith into Country music and since then has amassed 100+ million streams to date with independent releases “What If I Don’t,” “Been There Before” and “Let Me Let You,” among others. Quickly cementing her status as one to watch, the rising powerhouse vocalist has swiftly emerged as one of the most prominent emerging female artists in the genre as HOLLER. proclaims she mixes the “the chandelier rattling delivery of Kelly Clarkson with the cowgirl-next-door charm of Carly Pearce.” Newly signed to Nashville Harbor Records & Entertainment, Shaylen recently teamed up with labelmate Noah Hicks for “Second Time Around.” Adding her signature “silky-smooth notes” (Country Now) to the stirring duet, All Country News declares their collaboration is “proof that Noah Hicks and Shaylen are forces to be reckoned with in the country music scene.” With her brand new release, “To Tell You The Truth,” out now, Shaylen proves her staying power delivering hard truths about mixed feelings while trying to move on from an ended relationship. The excitement surrounding Shaylen continues to soar, as she recently made her Grand Ole Opry Debut. Watch the sweet moment Opry member Chris Young not only invited Shaylen to step into the hallowed circle for the first time, but also introduced her to the stage on her special night. For the latest information and more, visit Shaylenmusic.com.
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