Singer, songwriter and recording artist Kathryn Dean performed her newest anthem “Friends (Don’t Wanna Be)” exclusively on High School Nation’s QuaranTeen Instagram Live series on Monday, June 22nd at noon PST, as part of an exclusive engagement for the community platform. Dean’s exclusive 7-song performance, streamed on the company’s Instagram Live, featured all new songs, including an unreleased stripped-down version of “Told You So,” the pop songstress’ 2014 international breakthrough hit, which earned her a devout following in Latin America and has to date garnered over 30-million views on YouTube. An exclusive, live fan Q&A with iHeart Radio host TyeHollywood preceded the performance, both of which can be viewed on High School Nation’s IGTV profile here.
When asked about her plan for the performance, Dean said she feels it is important to, “address the emotional struggle that comes from trying to maintain relationships while being separated from one another, and to celebrate our ability to overcome obstacles and grow from those experiences.”
Via her social media yesterday, Dean announced a contest that will give fans the opportunity to design official cover art for her next single “Exhale.” The winner will have their design featured as the track’s official artwork when it releases this coming fall across all digital and streaming platforms. Watch the announcement here for further details.
Showcasing Dean’s impressive vocal range, “Friends (Don’t Wanna Be)” tackles the emotional struggle that comes with being separated from one another, and the celebration of our ability to overcome such obstacles. Dean said of writing the song, “What started as a way to work through my mixed emotions turned into a reminder that my need to create music and desire to achieve my dream are stronger than anyone’s efforts to diminish my confidence for the benefit of their egos.” One of those dreams, to write chart topping songs, is a milestone she has been striving for since she began writing and recording original music in high school.
Working to achieve this goal since high school, most recently, Dean has embarked on a mission to make a chart topping single with acclaimed producer and pop chart veteran of nearly 20 #1 hits, Sandy Vee (Katy Perry, “Firework,” Rihanna, “Only Girl in the World,” David Guetta, “Sexy Bitch” and many more). Their creative process will be the subject of a docuseries, with the first episode due out later this year. The series follows Dean and Sandy as they embark on a mission to make her high school dreams come true with Sandy’s next chart topping single. As they progress, the duo relies on Sandy’s years of success, insight and experience combined with KD’s fresh lyrical style and powerful, Adele-rivaling, vocals to navigate obstacles and adapt to making music under quarantine. Capturing a unique time in music history, Dean and Sandy Vee offer audiences a raw look at the formula of art and science behind creating a hit song, from writing its first notes to recording, releasing and performing the song. Viewers will get the chance to follow this unconventional approach and be offered unique opportunities to engage with Dean and Sandy as their process unfolds. The episodic series will culminate with a feature length documentary film submission for Sundance and the Film Festival circuit in 2021.
All High School Nation subscribers currently have exclusive access to download “Friends (Don’t Wanna Be)” now via an exclusive code. The track is officially set to release on July 17th to all digital and streaming platforms. For more information, please visit https://highschoolnation.com/.
About Kathryn Dean:
Kathryn Dean has amassed a digital footprint of over 100 million views on YouTube, with 30 million alone generated from her 2014 international smash hit “Told You So.” She ranked in at #1 on Billboard’s Adult Contemporary chart for 7 weeks straight with her song “City of Angels,” and DELTA Airlines bought the rights to her track “Blue Skies,” which they used as their exclusive boarding/inflight theme song. Taking inspiration from wide range of genres, including Country, Christian, Pop and Alternative influences, Dean captured the hearts of Latin American listeners, currently home to her strongest army of fans, which also happens to be the second highest streaming market in the world. Her songs have caught the attention of multiple major North American TV networks, and recently had music featured in promos for CBS’s “All Rise” and was featured in a long running campaign for the network’s hit show “SWAT.” Dean also consistently works with top Grammy award winning producers around the globe including: No Expectations (Adele, Sia, Maren Morris) Andrew Wells (Bebe Rexha, Meghan Trainor), Benjamin Rice (Lady Gaga, Selena Gomez, Julia Michaels), Sandy Vee (Katy Perry) and Linda Perry to name a few.
About High School Nation:
High School Nation is the largest provider of free events for public high schools in the US. Distance Learning has created an opportunity for HSN to bring these same opportunities to students at home. Through the generous donation of their time, HSN is bringing musicians, athletes and other creative professionals directly to students digitally. Each weekday is focused on a different profession. Follow HSN for more information on the upcoming guests and to submit your questions.
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