Tanner Adell Becomes The First Female Country Artist to Perform at the BET Awards: Country star Tanner Adell continues to be a groundbreaking force in the Country music landscape, becoming the first female Country artist to perform at the BET Awards last night (6/30). Adell debuted her new single “Cowboy Break My Heart,” which is out now, with VIBE stating she is “making sure Country music remains at the forefront of mainstream conversations” following the performance.
“This song is simply a bop,” said Adell. “Though it is a track I want my fans to have fun with, I think it also shows how powerful heartbreak can be and how it doesn’t go away just like that. This guy – who was a massive Dallas Cowboys fan, hence the title – did some damage to my heart, but it led to some great songs of mine like ‘I Hate Texas’ and ‘Whiskey Blues.’ Safe to say I’ll be leaving that ‘Cowboy’ in the past, but what an empowering moment to be able to debut the song on the BET Awards stage.”
Written by Adell, Akil “worldwidefresh” King, Stephen “Di Genius” McGregor, Will Weatherly, and Anthony Germaine White, “Cowboy Break My Heart” marks Adell’s first song release since signing with LVRN Records. The visualizer was captured this past weekend ahead of her BET Awards performance. It comes on the heels of her 2024 Twisters soundtrack feature, “Too Easy,” with NYLON listing the “beer-spilling, booty-shaking female Country-pop crossover” as one of the best songs of the week, while UPROXX proclaimed “Tanner Adell is bound to be the voice of the Country music landscape.”
Adell’s first release of the year, “Whiskey Blues,” shined on The Jennifer Hudson Show in May as Adell’s broadcast TV performance debut, pairing the song with her viral “Country/hip-hop slammer” (TIME) hit “Buckle Bunny.” Adell has seen no shortage of exponential career milestones so far this year. She recently released her “Drunk In Love (Apple Music Sessions)” cover, reaching the top spot on the Apple Trending chart upon release.
The 2024 CMT Next Women of Country artist made her Billboard Hot 100 debut earlier this year with “BLACKBIIRD,” her collaboration on Beyoncé’s COWBOY CARTER album. Adell’s Spotify monthly listeners skyrocketed following the album release, seeing a 1,500%+ increase in the few weeks after. Deemed one of seven artists shaping the sound of 2024 by The New York Times with 153M+ global streams and counting, Adell is just getting started.
The singer-songwriter released her debut mixtape, Buckle Bunny, last summer, an eight-song collection filled with female-empowerment anthems that keep their roots in Country while infusing a blend of pop vocals and hip-hop beats. As a co-writer on each carefully curated track, Adell spilled out energetic tunes that draw upon her personal narrative as a biracial woman embracing the truest version of herself.
Building on the success and demand from her loyal fans, Adell followed up the “sure-fire party-starter” (Billboard) with Buckle Bunny Deluxe, featuring “Backroad” and breakout hit “Luke Combs.” Finally concluding the Buckle Bunny era was the sultry, acoustic Buckle Bunny Stripped, a reimagined emotional take on Adell’s debut EP that pulls back the layers on the glamorous anthems.
Check Out: BET Awards: Burna Boy Wins Best International Act.
The “Country phenom” (VIBE) will bring her infectious live performance to the Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks Show at 7:00 p.m. CT on NBC and Peacock. She will play at some of the biggest domestic and international festivals this year including Faster Horses, Golden Sky, and Ridin’ Hearts Festival. Keep up with Adell on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and Twitter.
