K. Michelle is taking her music career to new heights with THIS recent move! The ‘Tennessee’ singer has signed her first recording contract as a country music artist! According to BillboardPuddin’ (Michelle’s alter ego) is now with BBR Music Group/BMG Nashville.
This means that K. Michelle is now signed to the likes of country stars Jelly Roll, Jason Aldean and Lainey Wilson. Michelle’s exciting chapter comes as she is still putting together her debut country album. Her first single in the new genre, “Tennessee,” was released last September, and its music video on YouTube has over 280,000 views.
There are no additional details about her deal, including how much she signed or what she promised and for how long. However, her new label released a statement BRAGGING about their latest signee and promising an album and tour coming soon! They called her career “groundbreaking,” praising her ability to push “genre boundaries.”
On Instagram, Puddin’ shared heartfelt words about her career milestone, saying the record deal means “the world” to her.
“Listen, I’ve been an outsider my whole life. I’ve never been in the cool crowd. It used to hurt, but I forced myself to move on my own, but strong. Just me, my microphone, voice, pen and God. I kicked, screamed, begged and pleaded to sing whatever I wanted. 3 years ago, after getting sick and almost losing my life trying to be accepted by the culture. I said f**k it! If I can’t get invited to the party, I’m going to throw my own and that’s what I did.”
She explained that she returned to Tennessee because she believed she deserved to “do what (she) is great at.”
“It’s bigger than me. I represent the weird kids, the misunderstood, the dispossessed, the forgotten, women and men from all walks of life. I am the underdog. Thank you @bbrmusicgroup @bmg for partnering with me and understanding my vision. Out of all the labels, I knew IMMEDIATELY where this was going. I look forward to taking stages everywhere to perform the music I grew up with. A long and hard road ahead, but I am equipped for ANYTHING. Ford Tough.”
Her caption also seemed to hint at the name of her debut country project. She wrote, “This is what you call ‘The Making of an Outlaw’.”
K. Michelle’s Country Music Rise
While K. Michelle is making strides in country music, most of us know the artist for her R&B career. From ‘Can’t Raise A Man’ to ‘Cry,’ the singer has held her own in the soul genre for 10 years with six albums under her belt. Then, she announced her transition — and it’s been well-received by fans and the music community so far.
She made a guest vocal appearance on the song ‘Love Can Build A Bridge’, for the project ‘A Tribute to the Judds’. Her labelmate Jelly Roll was on the track, along with Fisk Jubilee Singers. Puddin’ reached play the music at the Country Music Awards in November.
After releasing her country-inspired album ‘Cowboy Carter’ in March, Beyoncé sent K. Michelle an inspiring message along with some flowers. The sweet gesture came amid online comparisons of Beyoncé muzzling the country music scene while Michelle was still digging her heels in!
Most recently, in June, K. Michelle took her voice to CMA Fest, performing at Nissan Stadium!
RELATED: Queen Thangs! Beyoncé Goes Viral After Sending THIS to K. Michelle (WATCH)
What do you think, roommates?