Singer Songwriter Brynn Cartelli has released her debut EP Based On A True Story, available now at all DSPS and streaming services (EP artwork/tracklisting below). The EP arrives alongside a heartwarming lyric video for “Jane” featuring home footage from her childhood, available now on Brynn’s official YouTube channel.
Returning to her hometown of Longmeadow, MA after the surreal experience of winning NBC’s season 14 of The Voice and touring with Kelly Clarkson, Brynn became hyperaware of getting back to her normal life as a teen. Based On A True Story is a snapshot of the time she spent reconnecting with friends, being observant, and really honing into what being young is about.
Cartelli comments on the EP, “Based On A True Story is the foundation of who I am as a singer-songwriter. Writing this project brought me back home, back with my friends and family. I was finally able to comment on my high school and teenage experience from an honest place. It feels like I’m opening up my diary for the world to read, and I could not be more terrified and excited all at once.”
Brynn takes seemingly small moments from typical suburban experiences and turns them into candid, anthemic pop ballads that people of all ages can relate to. The previously unreleased “Imaginary Stranger” fulfills a wish she held for years, vividly detailing her connection to her grandfather who passed away from lung cancer six years before her birth. Then, there’s the piano-driven “Love You In My Mind,” which is based off a collection of stories from fans who were obsessing over crushes. Blossoming from an acoustic intro into a bouncy refrain, the buoyant “We Belong” captures an idyllic moment of teen freedom and friendship in lines like, “We didn’t get invited to the party it’s fine, so we’ll sit around the fire and we’ll talk about life.” As the final addition to the EP, “Jane” pairs a powerhouse vocal performance with lullaby-style instrumentation that sees Brynn imagining what it would be like if she was someone else specifically choosing the name Jane because that’s almost what her mom had named her.
Co-written by Brynn and Ben Abraham (Demi Lovato, Sara Bareilles, and Kesha), “If I Could” which has already seen over 2 million streams, is Brynn’s message to a friend in a one-sided relationship, “If I could do it for you, then I would say, Goodbye.” She originally shared a snippet of the song through a post on Tik Tok that has amassed over 8 million views and recently performed the track on The Kelly Clarkson Show.
“Long Way Home” co-written by Brynn and Nathan Chapman (Taylor Swift, Kylie Minogue and Colbie Caillat), was the first track released off the EP and her first new music since 2019, attracting praise as People named Brynn among its “Emerging Artists to Watch.” Directed by Blythe Thomas (Julia Michaels, Hozier, Grace Vanderwall), the official video for the track sees Brynn and her real-life friends driving around New York City, singing and dancing through the streets of Greenwich Village and Times Square, and even celebrating her friend Piper’s 18th birthday with a surprise cake.
BASED ON A TRUE STORY AVAILABLE NOW
