With a crystalline Country vocal and an international rep for writing vivid scenes of emotional insight, BBR Music Group/BMG Nashville recording artist Madeline Merlo is a rising star with an old soul and a new school style. Already a Platinum-certified No. 1 songwriter poised to be a breakout artist, Merlo’s new project ONE HOUSE DOWN (from the girl next door) finds a self-described deep-feeler offering a message of encouragement to her younger self – and to all those who feel “a little different.”

A small town native helming from the blueberry fields of British Columbia, Merlo recalls countless holiday family sing-alongs soaked in a musical mix of classic soul and R&B – plus ‘90s country and the powerhouse vocals of everyone from Aretha Franklin to Dolly Parton, Martina McBride and Faith Hill. After attending a Shania Twain concert as her first show, she proclaimed her intention to be a singer on a second-grade school project – and her songwriting habit began early, too. Merlo started visiting Nashville on songwriting trips at just 16, signed a record deal at 18, and found fast success at Canadian country radio, earning the CCMA Rising Star award in 2015. By 2020 she was competing on Season 2 of NBC songwriting reality series Songland – and with the dressed-down anthem of easy confidence, “Champagne Night,” she came out a winner. The track went on to become a Platinum-certified three-week No. 1 for Lady A, opening the door for Merlo’s artistic dreams. The sassy country/funk and soul single “It Didn’t” has racked up more than 10 million Spotify streams to date, and Merlo followed with the gravel-road pop of her Slide EP in 2022.

Now, after being named to CMT Next Women of Country class of 2024, she calls ONE HOUSE DOWN (from the girl next door) her most emotionally insightful project yet – a six-song message of self-worth that comes with a superstar boost and plays to her creative strength. The first peek into her forthcoming project arrives August 9th with the melodic “Broken Heart Thing (feat. Dustin Lynch),” and the full project will be available October 11th. Merlo can be found on the road throughout the U.S. and Canada this summer.

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