The summer sunshine is looking bright for Cassadee Pope’s next step in her music career as she is set to release her EP, Summer, on June 3.
Pope and Big Machine Label Group President Scott Borchetta hosted a listening party in Nashville for a sneak peek at the anticipated EP. They talked about the story behind each song and the reasons for putting them on the record before playing each track in full. Borchetta showed true confidence in Pope, telling guests that this EP was representative of the four songs she would bet her career on.
The feel-good title track, “Summer,” was inspired by a hot summer romance filled with passion and love, said Pope. Before she played the song, she also hinted that a music video for the tune is on its way and that it would be bold and very much so a departure of what she’s done before.
“Piano” features a melodic vocal line with lots of ups and downs in the notes to represent the rollercoaster emotions Pope described as the background of the song. The lyric, “You played me like a piano,” struck a strong chord with both Pope and Borchetta and the up-tempo track became a fast ballad about manipulation.
“The lyrics are very conversational,” said Pope. “That was raw emotion. It’s one of my favorites.”
Keeping the emotions on high, Pope introduced “Kisses on Airports,” a song she said she related to because of spending most of her time on the road. Pope herself revealed she got a little teary-eyed when she came across the song.
“When I first heard it, I cried,” she said. “I thought about how many half-hearted goodbyes I’ve given at the airport.”
They ended it off with a sassy and fun number called “Alien,” which is inspired by the well-rounded upbringing Pope experienced during her time at home. She talked about never wanting to be in one box, even though society forces everyone to make choices to be only one thing in life.
“I have such an eclectic taste in things—fashion, music, hobbies. It’s okay to be all these things. I want to encourage people to be all of the weird aspects of yourself,” she said.
With lyrics like, “I’m a homecoming queen with a tattoo sleeve,” it’s hard to mistake this anthemic track for being just another lighthearted country song. The song, just like the EP, shows all different sides of Pope’s personality and she said each song tells a different story needed to be heard.
Pope will be extending her time on the road with Chris Young for the I’m Coming Over Tour this fall and will be playing at CMA Music Festival on the Park Stage.
