Capturing life and pain with poetic ease and plain honesty is what Brit Taylor does well. The emerging country music sensation writes and sings about what she lives, what she knows. Real Me, her debut album released in late 2020, is a self-reflective, 10-song LP telling of a journey to self-awareness. The aptly titled album delivered a unique vulnerability that is both empathetic and empowering. Its success was followed last summer by her expanded album, Real Me Deluxe, featuring two classic covers and an original song destined to be classic.
The two albums, produced by Grammy-award winner Dave Brainard, are mindfully crafted to capture Brit’s pure authenticity and her Eastern Kentucky roots. By blending twangy guitars, crying steels, emotional lyrics and sultry vocals, Real Me and Real Me Deluxe redefine traditional country music.
Brit knows you can’t fake authenticity. Real Me reflects her story and, in some way, it is everyone’s story.
“It took me 30 years to figure out who the real me is,” Brit said. “I’m glad I found her.”
The four pre-released singles from the debut album garnered immediate praise. They received positive reviews from numerous outlets including Rolling Stone, Billboard, American Songwriter, Music Row and others. All four songs found their places on playlists from Spotify, Apple and Amazon, including Spotify’s Pulse of Americana, Emerging Americana, Indigo and New Nashville. Taylor has been voted No. 2 on the CMT 12-Pack Countdown and the No. 2 most added album on AMA/CDX Radio Chart, tying with Waylon Payne.
With her “luscious alto tone” (American Songwriter) and “her “steel guitar-drenched, laid back” sound that “hits traditional country notes” (Billboard), Robert K. Oermann of Music Row praised her “liquid alto singing voice, with bright teardrop accents.” “I am smitten,” he wrote. “Send more.”
From her first single release, “Waking Up Ain’t Easy,” which shared her journey through depression as her life crashed around her, to the album’s title song, “Real Me,” which is an awareness of knowing her true self and having the guts to expose it to the world, the album borrows from her roots and blends it with a 21st Century vibe to create her unique sound.
Real Me Deluxe features the original song, “At Least There’s No Babies.” Penned by Taylor and country artist Dee White, who also sings along with Taylor, it was released to critical acclaim. Rolling Stone said “…White harmonizes beautifully with Taylor in the mournful tune” and The Musical Divide called it “absolutely excellent stuff” that “might be the best song in either of their catalogues” and “the best song I’ve covered.”