Brandy Clark may not be the typical country artist, but she’s currently one of the most talked about as she’s known for singing about pot-smoking housewives.
Clark, 37, has previously written tracks for Miranda Lambert and The Band Perry. She almost called her own music career quits until her debut album entitled 12 Stories rose to number 23 on Billboard’s Top Country chart. This earned her a nomination for “New Artist of the Year” at the 2014 Country Music Awards.
“I had been passed on a lot,” she said. “I think it’s because I didn’t really fit what is a mainstream country artist. I was over 30 and over a size 2. I was kinda more your average woman than your average super model, which is why my music resonates though.”
Clark isn’t the first gay artist to be nominated for a CMA, but she definitely likes to push boundaries. Most of her hits tell stories of infidelity, drug addiction, or divorce, which sets her apart from her fellow country artist’s.
“I feel so fortunate to be in a time where I am embraced completely as who I am and I don’t have to hide who I am in any way,” said Clark. “I hope that we’ve broken some boundaries and things are changing. I feel very included in the country music community.”
According to ABC News, she’s the only female artist to receive a nomination for new artist, but not one of her single’s topped the country charts.
“Like I said early on to my manager, my music is Showtime and HBO,” she explained. “And I’m going to always keep it Showtime and HBO.”
Clark, singer Kacey Musgraves, and producer Shane McAnally all share a songwriting nomination for “Follow Your Arrow,” which was reportedly censored during last year’s CMA’s because of the lyrics “roll up a joint.”
“I think with or without a nomination, what Brandy does is so strong on its own that it can’t help but reach people,” Musgraves told ABC. “It’s just too good. But it makes me really happy to see people like her getting the recognition and nominations that are so wildly deserved for our genre.”
Clark, whose album was independently produced under Slate Creek Records, could take home the win. Critics are calling it one of the best records of the year.
The 2014 Country Music Awards, country music’s biggest night, airs on Wednesday Nov. 5.
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